Bury The Castle
by Bandbabe
Summary: Adam and Fiona's fairytale comes crashing down when Drew makes a major mistake. – Sequel to "Lion's Den"; Dark fic!; Adam/Fiona pairing; Drew/Bianca, Eli/Clare, Sav/Holly J/Declan friendship. *Complete*
1. Prologue

"Bury The Castle"

Summary: Adam and Fiona's fairytale comes crashing down when Drew makes a major mistake. – Sequel to "Lion's Den"; Adam/Fiona pairing; Dark fic; Drew/Bianca, Eli/Clare, Sav/Holly J friendship.

Author's Note: **This is not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

This story takes place after the Episode "The Way We Get By" (1035/1036) and is a sequel to the fan fic "Lion's Den". You should probably read one that first (or at least chapters 1 & 2) for the backstory between Adam and Fiona.

Categories: Angst/Drama/Romance/Family/Friendship

Rating: M (for language, not lemons!)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

*Prologue*

.

_When he was hooking up with Fiona, it had been amazing. He finally got to touch and explore her body in ways he had only dreamed of. He was excited beyond measure and it was incredible knowing that he was making her feel good and cry out in pleasure. However, when he felt her reach out to him he hesitated. He enjoyed kissing her and the feel of her hands on his body, but he wasn't sure if he was comfortable with her touching him down below. She looked into his eyes and murmured, "Please" and his resistance instantly melted away. When she made contact with him, his first thought was, "Why didn't we do this sooner?" Suddenly, everything felt more intense. They looked into each other's eyes as the sensations kept building and soon fell over the edge, together._

_Some time afterward he awoke with start. Once he realized where he was and recalled what happened earlier with Fiona, he carefully removed himself from her bed and rushed to the bathroom. He didn't feel right. He recognized the onset of dysphoria as all his insecurities came rushing to the surface. _

_Adam wasn't sure how much time passed as he stared at his reflection in the mirror, hating what he saw. His mind raged that he shouldn't have let her that close. He wondered how could Fiona possibly see him as guy after seeing the wrap he wore to flatten his chest, the telltale curve of his hips, and intimately touching him? Worse, he wondered if that's what she wanted from him all along. He was angry with himself for getting in this position in the first place. When tears started to fall he knew that he made a mistake. He had wanted to be with her so badly, but he wasn't ready for this. He sat down on the bathroom floor, leaning against the door as he silently cried._

_He panicked when he heard Fiona knock on the door. She asked him if he was alright and he didn't know how to respond. He finally told her that he needed a minute. To his surprise she ended up camping out on the other side of the door and assured him if he needed to talk she was all ears. He asked her if she had any regrets about being with him. She said no. Then she asked if he did. After a long pause he said yes._

"_Adam, what's wrong?" Fiona asked. She was concerned. He didn't sound like himself. She had been startled to find his side of the bed empty when she woke up, but instantly calmed down when she realized he was in the bathroom. She chided herself for getting too worried, but as the minutes ticked by she knew something was amiss._

_Adam sighed. He had just made love to the woman he loved, yet here he was freaking out about body issues and questioning their relationship. Why couldn't he ever be happy? Every time he tried, something would come along and steal his happiness away. "Do you like me, for me? Or…" He paused to wipe a tear away. He wasn't sure if he had the strength to finish that sentence. He sounded so weak and needy. It wasn't sexy. After those words he deserved it if Fiona ran the other way._

_Fiona waited to him to continue. When she realized he probably wasn't going to, she spoke up. "Adam, can you open the door?"_

_He flinched. He didn't want her to see him this way. He felt too raw, too vulnerable._

"_I do," she said after a long moment._

"_What?" he questioned._

"_I like you for who you are, Adam," she clarified. "There are times when I wonder how I got so lucky to have this amazing, sweet, funny, and caring guy in my life. I don't trust people easily but from the moment I met you, I knew that I could. I can't explain it, but I feel connected to you. I want you to know that I'll never judge you, Adam, so whatever you're feeling, you can tell me."_

_Adam slowly opened the door. He felt sheepish but he wrapped himself in the comfort of her words. When he met her eyes he felt disarmed. Fiona rushed forward and hugged him. After a few seconds he hugged back._

_They sat on the bed, side by side as they spoke._

"_It's called gender dysphoria," Adam said quietly as he looked at the floor. "Time to time, nothing feels right. I feel really uncomfortable in my body because it doesn't match up." He sighed before admitting, "I'm experiencing it right now."_

_Fiona looked at him concerned. "Is it because we…"_

_He looked up. "It comes and goes. Sometimes the most mundane things can trigger it," he told her. "But… yeah, I think so."_

"_I'm sorry." Her voice sounded so sad. Adam reached for her hands._

"_Hey, it's not you. It's me," he said with a small smile. Fiona smiled a little in response. Seeing this, his widened in triumph._

"_I didn't meant to–"_

"_I know," Adam assured her. He paused, weighing whether or not he wanted to ask on question that had been nagging him every since he opened his eyes. He decided to bite the bullet. "Fiona, do you… do you still see me as a guy?"_

_Fiona blinked and searched his face for any sign humor or sarcasm. He didn't quite meet her eyes and she could tell he was serious and anxious about her response. "Of course I do," she stated firmly._

"_Really?" he asked quietly. His body was female and there had been no escaping that when they hooked up._

_She reached up and placed her hands on his temples. "You're a guy, Adam. It doesn't matter what the rest of you is like. Up here is what counts. I get that."_

_He smiled._

_

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_

A/N: I referenced them hooking up in the previous story. The entire prologue is one long flashback, which is why it's in italics. The next part will pick up where "Lion's Den" ended.

**Don't be shy! Review ;-)**


	2. Flipping Out

"Bury The Castle" – part 1

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: **This story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

This is the first chapter. Takes place the day after "Lion's Den". Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

Drew woke up at 5:19 in the morning. The sky was still dark, though the horizon glowed orange. It was signaled that a new day had begun. He tiredly wiped his eyes as he slowly sat up. Why was he getting up so damn early? The memory eluded him for a few moments and he debated lying back down to get more rest. He started to lean back when it hit him.

"Oh shit!" he muttered under his breath. He threw back the covers and hurriedly stood up. He needed to intercept the note he placed in his mother's purse last night. If he didn't Adam would be screwed, and so would he. He crept down the hall as carefully as he could and headed to his parents' bedroom.

Three days a week his father worked the early shift. He would be gone by now. His mother woke up at the crack of dawn everyday and would likely be in the shower at the current time. If he was quick, he could be in and out before she noticed. For the first time in a long time he was grateful that his parents forbid them from locking doors in the house. It would actually work to his advantage.

He said a silent prayer when he placed his hand on the door knob. If he timed it wrong, this could go _very_ badly for him. He slowly turned the handle and waited for the door to open. It didn't. He twisted it harder and it didn't budge. He widened his eyes at the realization that his parents' door was locked.

Drew cursed under his breath. He needed to get in there. He needed to grab that letter before she read it. He tried again to no avail. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair when he realized his mission failed.

-oOo-

Adam was annoyed. Somehow despite waking up at regular time Drew beat him to the bathroom. He pounded on the door three times.

"Open up!" he yelled.

"I need a few more minutes," Drew answered back.

Adam rolled his eyes. "You can use the downstairs mirror to put product in your hair. I need to get in there or we're going to be late!" he complained. He waited a few moments before giving up and walking back to his room.

When he finally got washed up and dressed Adam was starving. He glanced at the clock and groaned. Maybe he had time for a Pop Tart. He ran down the stairs with his book bag on his shoulder. "I'm here!" he said nearly out of breath. He paused in the doorway when he noticed a curious sight.

Drew was sitting at the table with his hands folded, across from their mom who wore a stern expression. They both looked up when he entered.

"Adam, I'm sorry!" Drew rushed out.

Mrs. Torres glared at him. "That's enough," she cut him off. She turned to Adam, "Please, sit down."

He threw Drew a quizzical expression before sliding his book bag off and taking a seat. "How come you guys aren't eating breakfast?" he asked confused.

His mother stared at him so hard he felt like she could see through him. "Adam, are you having sex?"

His eyes widened at her bluntness. He was completely floored and looked at Drew shocked. His brother didn't meet his eyes.

"Don't look at him. Answer me," she demanded.

He snapped his head towards her. "W-what?" he sputtered.

She enunciated each word as she looked straight at him. "Are you having sex?"

He blinked and looked at Drew again. This time he took in his brother's guilty expression. He turned back to his mother. "No," he said quietly.

She sighed unconvinced. "I want you to be honest with me, Adam. You're too young for this! You're only 15 years old!"

Adam looked away. His head was spinning. He didn't know what to make of this sudden ambush.

"You're not ready for sex and all that comes with a serious relationship! You have no business being involved with a 17 year old!" she continued to rant.

Adam furrowed his brows. "I'm turning 16 in two weeks!" he argued.

"That's beside the point–"

"No. You're judging her and you haven't even met her!" he interrupted annoyed. He was sick of everyone weighing on his relationship with Fiona. It was between them. Other peoples' opinions didn't matter.

His mother's eyes flashed with anger. "I _have_ met her. She showed up drunk to a PTA meeting wearing lingerie!" she told him. Adam froze. He had forgotten about that. "This girl is not appropriate for you to date!"

He turned to his brother. "You told her!" he yelled angrily.

"I didn't mean to!" Drew refuted sadly.

"Did you think you could hide this from me? If you're not doing anything wrong how come you never brought her around the house?" Mrs. Torres questioned him.

Adam snorted. This was ridiculous! He didn't think Drew could snoop so low but apparently he was wrong. "Because I've seen how horrible you are to Drew's girlfriends! Why would I want to subject her to that?" he fired back.

"I haven't had any problems with Drew's current girlfriend, Bianca. She's a sweet girl. I only take issue with trashy girls," his mother explained.

Adam scoffed and looked at his brother.

Drew looked at him with pleading eyes. He could tell Adam was close to telling her about the incident between him and Bianca last fall.

Switching tactics, their mother softened her expression and looked into her younger son's eyes. "Adam, you are only 15. You have to figure out yourself and who you are. Can you honestly say you're ready to deal with the emotional ramifications of having sex?"

Adam swallowed. He hated being lectured to but she hit a nerve. "No," he admitted. The sound came out like a whisper. After a long moment he looked up and found her looking at him concerned.

"Then tell me what's going on? Are you feeling pressured?" she asked gently.

Adam shook his head. "No! I don't," he quickly said. After a beat he added, "It only happened one time."

"So you did have sex," she stated coolly. As he watched her, he could see the wheels turning in her head. He instantly wanted to backtrack but it was too late. Her expression had already hardened. "Adam, you're not to see this girl again," she forbade him.

"What?" he said in disbelief. He was actually honest with her for a moment and this was how she chose to react?

"You heard me. You and this girl are over. She too old for you and has too many issues," Mrs. Torres declared. "She's been to rehab, Adam. Rehab! I don't want her introducing you to drinking and she's already pressuring you to do things you're not comfortable with. This ends NOW!"

Adam glared at her. "You can't tell me who I can or cannot date! It's not fair!"

She snorted. "Fair or not, I absolutely can! You're just 15! She could be facing charges for what she did," his mother asserted.

"What do you mean?" he said taken aback by her last sentence.

"She's older than you, Adam. I could have her charged with statutory rape," she threatened.

"WHAT?" Adam and Drew shouted at the same time. That sounded certifiably insane!

Their mother nodded defiantly.

"That would never hold up in court!" Adam retorted. They were too close in age. Besides, how would she prove it? It would just be hearsay and no one he knew would actually testify.

"It doesn't have to," his mother responded. "It would be quite embarrassing for her family, wouldn't it?"

Adam stared at her. His mother couldn't be that cruel, could she?

.

tbc

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	3. Crestfallen

"Bury The Castle" – part 2

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: **This story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Thanks for all the reviews guys! :D

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

Eli and Clare stood at Adam's locker. Most days he was in early because of Drew's sports practices. However, classes were due to start soon and their friend was nowhere to be found.

"He's probably avoiding us," Eli griped.

Clare sighed. "Can you blame him after last night?"

"We didn't do anything! Drew was the one being confrontational," Eli responded.

"Oh, I don't know about that. You got quite a few digs in earlier in the evening," Clare reminded him.

Eli shrugged. "Maybe I could have been nicer…"

Clare gave him a knowing look.

"I just don't like her!" Eli complained. He leaned against the lockers. "Why can't our best friend date someone we like?" he said wistfully.

Clare chuckled. "Because he has free will?" she teased.

Eli grinned and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "We have to disable that as soon as possible," he joked, before leaning in to kiss her. When he pulled away her eyes remained closed for a few seconds longer and he smiled broadly, amazed that this incredible girl was with him.

Clare opened her eyes to find her boyfriend looking at her with complete adoration. She blushed and looked away. When she did she spotted Adam coming down the hall and quickly stepped away. "Adam!" she called out.

He looked frazzled as he walked briskly down the hall. Upon hearing his name, he turned to them. He wasn't smiling as he approached.

"Hey, man," Eli said in an upbeat tone.

"Have you seen Fiona?" Adam inquired without preamble.

Eli furrowed his brows. "No," he said slightly perplexed. Why would he seek her out? Clare shook her head.

"What about Holly J?" Adam questioned.

"No," Eli repeated and let out a short laugh. "What is this about?" His friend looked so serious and he hadn't the slightest clue why.

Adam sighed in frustration. "I'll check her locker," he said mostly to himself.

"Adam, what's going on?" Clare asked concerned.

He looked at her with a hollow expression. "Everything's screwed up," he said dryly.

"Adam?" Eli questioned, his voice laced with worry.

"Catch you guys later," he said and quickly walked away.

Eli and Clare shared a look.

"Should we go after him?" she questioned.

Eli shook his head. "He doesn't look like he wants company."

"What do you think happened?" Clare asked him.

Eli shrugged. "Maybe they broke up again?" he speculated.

They spotted Drew walking down the hall. He seemed to be brooding.

"Drew!" Eli called out. The elder Torres wasted little time walking over.

"Have you seen, Adam?" Drew asked concerned.

"We just saw him," Clare nodded. "He's looking for Fiona."

Drew winced. "I'm so stupid," he said to himself.

Clare stared at him. "What happened?"

Drew looked away. "I'm an idiot."

-oOo-

When he reached Fiona's locker she wasn't there. Adam sighed and leaned against it. He had to warn her but he wasn't sure how.

"That's not your locker," a voice called to him in a teasing manner. He looked up to see Holly J walking towards him.

"Have you seen Fiona?" he asked urgently.

The older girl shook her head. "No, she's not going to be in until later."

"Why?" Adam questioned.

She gave him a curious look. "She sent me a text an hour ago. Her mom is flying in last minute and she wants Fiona to meet her at the airport."

"Crap!" Adam yelled. "Can I use your phone?"

Holly J narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Okay, what's going on? And how come you don't have a phone?"

Adam took a deep breath. "My mom took my phone away. I'm grounded. She found out about me and Fiona."

Holly J frowned. "Wait, she found out you two are dating and she grounded you?" She knew Mrs. Torres could be a pill but that sounded like overkill.

Adam nodded. "Yeah, but she also found out about me and Fiona… that we were together."

She stared at him for a few seconds before she picked up on his meaning. "What? How did she find out about that?"

Adam clinched his jaw. "Drew."

"Are you kidding me!" Holly J had ripped him a new one yesterday after his rant about Fiona. She didn't understand why he would continue to push things further. "What a bastard!"

Adam cracked a small smile. "Can't say I disagree… but I need to speak to Fiona. I think I know why her mom is flying in."

Holly J raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Adam paused. "Well… my mom flipped out and instantly demanded that I break up with Fiona. When I told her she couldn't make me, she said that she could. That's when she threatened to press charges against Fiona."

Holly furrowed her eyebrows. "For what?"

"Statutory rape," he said quietly.

She scrunched up her face. "WHAT? How could that even hold up in court? You guys are only 2 years apart! That doesn't make any sense!"

Adam nodded in agreement. "I know it wouldn't! She knows that too, but she's not above embarrassing Fiona and her family by filing charges."

Holly J looked at him in disbelief. She was livid at Drew and wanted to yell at him, but right now she needed to focus on what could be done about the situation at hand. "Do you think she's serious?"

Adam thought about it. His mom was unpredictable. "Yes, if I continue to see her," he said sadly.

Holly J looked at him. "I'm sorry, Adam."

Adam let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry, too."

"I'm going to meet Fiona at her condo. She probably has already left for the airport, but at least I can talk to her mom when they get back. Try to help out," Holly J offered.

"I'm coming with you," Adam insisted.

Holly J shook her head. "No. First, I think you'll be the last person Fiona's mom will want to see. Second, if you mom found out you skipped class to meet up with Fiona, what do you think she'll do?"

Adam frowned. She was right.

"Let me take care of this," she said. She looked the younger boy in the eyes. "It'll all work out somehow."

-oOo-

"Wait, so Adam and Fiona actually had sex?" Bianca said surprised.

Drew nodded. He and Bianca were sitting outside on the top row of the bleachers. It was rather chilly outside so they had the space to themselves.

"When did this happen!" she asked. She still couldn't believe it.

"A few days ago," he told her.

She gave him a look. "And why didn't you tell me?"

Despite himself, he chuckled. "Because he didn't tell me. We were on the outs by then. Eli told me and I confronted him about it at home a bit later."

Bianca grinned as she shook her head. "Honestly, I didn't think he had it in him." Truthfully, she was impressed. The younger Torres was a sweet guy and all but she definitely didn't see a sexual side to him. She thought Fiona was stringing him along with a few kisses here and there, but apparently she was wrong.

Drew snorted. "He may look harmless but I assure you he's a guy like any other. When there's an opening, we go for it," he boasted. He leaned in and brought his lips to hers. When they pulled away, Bianca was smirking.

"I still can't picture it. What did they do?" she asked.

Drew looked at her. "Do you really think he gave the guy on the outs details?"

They both laughed.

"Right. Well, when or should I say_ if_ he ever talks to you again, you have to ask," she teased.

Drew sighed. At this rate he wasn't sure if his brother would ever speak to him again. He felt so guilty, but in this moment it was easier to ignore it. "Yeah, you seem a little too interested in my younger brother's sex life," he joked.

Bianca stuck out her tongue in response.

.

tbc

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	4. Bad To Worse

"Bury The Castle" – part 3

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: Loving the reviews! It's awesome to hear from you guys! In this chapter, references are made to "Lion's Den", chapter 2.

**FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

Holly J waited anxiously as she sat on the couch. She was at Fiona's condo but her friend wasn't there. She had a hunch she had already gone to the airport. She was concerned. Sending Fiona to rehab was hard on Fiona's mother. The woman was extremely worried about her daughter and seriously considered bringing her back home to New York, even though it meant that Fiona would have to repeat her final year of high school. Holly J had been the one to talk her out of it, insisting that such a major change would send the girl backwards. She argued that she could keep an eye on Fiona and it was best for her to stay where she had a life and a support system in place. Given the letter she found, she assumed it would be devastating to take Fiona away from the guy she had feelings for.

From the little she knew about Adam, she knew the boy truly cared for Fiona. They had only been dating a short while when he helped with the intervention. When Fiona returned from rehab, Holly J thought it would be smooth sailing for them. However, she couldn't have been more wrong. The love letter she found was actually about her. It wasn't dated, but it had been written months ago. Holly J didn't have any romantic feelings toward Fiona, but it was awkward as hell and Adam naturally was devastated to learn the truth. Fiona admitted she wasn't sure about her sexuality and the young couple split. Holly J didn't expect Adam to continue to be there for Fiona, but he was. Despite all the hurt feelings, he readily offered friendship and turned out to be a great support to Fiona after all.

Just when she got used to Adam being just a friend and Fiona dating girls, everything changed again! Holly J was extremely skeptical when Fiona told her that she had romantic feelings for Adam. She thought it was Fiona's dependency issues cropping up again. Holly J had been close to and a big support for Fiona during one of the most difficult times in her life, and Fiona developed a crush on her. Now Adam was there for her as she was recovering from her drinking problem and questioning her sexuality, and she found herself developing feelings for him. Holly J told Fiona it was best to leave it alone and not toy with Adam's heart. However, Fiona didn't listen. Holly J was proud of Adam when he insisted on staying friends and avoided her for a spell. That quickly changed after the two of them kissed.

Holly J rolled her eyes at the "new" couple at first, even though she could admit to herself that they were sweet together. The biggest surprise was the realization that after many up and downs her friend actually looked happy for the first time in recent memory.

Adam's friends and brother were less than thrilled about the renewed relationship and weren't shy about letting their feelings known. Drew was openly hostile. Eli and Clare were icy towards Fiona. All of them saw her as the she-devil who couldn't be trusted around Adam. Holly J commended Adam for sticking up for his girlfriend, but it was taking a toll on the couple. She could sense that.

Still, she found it hard to believe that Drew would actually involved Mrs. Torres in their feud! That woman was a piece of work! Opinionated, abrasive, forceful. It was ridiculous that she was threatening to smear Fiona with a false charge as leverage for her son to end the relationship!

Holly J took a deep breath when she heard the front door open. She turned toward the entrance and readied herself for battle.

Fiona walked in first. Her eyes were downcast and a little puffy. She looked visibly upset. Trailing behind her was her mom. Mrs. Coyne looked exasperated. She wore a smart business suit and looked formidable, but she seemed stressed and tired.

"Hi," Holly J said softly and stood up. Fiona looked at her surprised. Mrs. Coyne narrowed her eyes.

"You," she said in a low tone.

Holly J blinked, unprepared for the hostility.

"You said you would keep an eye on her. That, transferring would only make things worse for her. How is this any better Holly J? Drinking problem, rehab, _statutory rape charges_?" the older woman glared at her. "I'm taking her back to New York."

"Mrs. Coyne, _please_. This is all out left field. Those charges will never stand! He's 15. I looked it up and even though Canada's age of consent is 16, at that age anyone within 5 years is exempt," Holly J informed her.

Mrs. Coyne let out a short laugh. "My daughter is battling a drinking problem and is having sex with underage girls. I think it's time to go home."

Fiona finally spoke up. "He's _not_ a girl," she said firmly. Mother and daughter locked eyes. After a moment she added, "And what if I was with a girl? Is that really synonymous with a drinking problem?"

Holly J smiled. She was proud of her friend for standing her ground.

Fiona's mother looked at her for a long moment. "Bobby really screwed you up?" she questioned with pity evident in her voice.

Fiona scoffed. "This isn't about Bobby, mom."

"You're young and confused, Fiona. That's all this is," Mrs. Coyne said unconvinced.

"You should listen to her," Holly J interjected.

Mrs. Coyne shook her head. "Don't tell me how to be a parent to my daughter," she bristled.

"I think someone should. Because it's clear that it's not working out so well for you right now," Holly J retorted.

"Get out of my house!" Mrs. Coyne snapped at her.

Holly J narrowed her eyes. "Gladly." She picked up her coat from the couch and then walked over to Fiona. "You did good, you know? Don't let her or anyone else bully you." She then gave her friend a hug.

"Thanks Holly J," Fiona said quietly.

"Call me later, alright?" she said before walking out of the apartment.

-oOo-

Sav was in the music room putting the finishing touches on a new song when his cell phone beeped. He smiled when he saw who was calling.

"HJ! I missed you in history class," he smiled.

"Sav, I need a favor," Holly J said urgently.

Hearing the tone of her voice the smile died on his lips. "Holly J, what's wrong?"

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Ouch… Like I mentioned previously, this is a dark fic… Also, I guess I should mention, the previous story "Lion's Den" was 5 chapters. This one is much longer. Couldn't stop writing, lol. As such, I'll likely double post tomorrow.

**Review! Come on, you know you want to :D**


	5. Try Honesty

"Bury The Castle" – part 4

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: **FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

It was lunch time before Sav was able to track him down. He spotted Adam sitting with his lunch tray at a table with Eli and Clare. Despite the amble food before them, all three weren't eating. The couple was listening intently to whatever Adam was telling them. Sav had a hunch about it.

"Hey," Sav said solemnly when he approached them.

Adam looked up. "Have you spoken to Holly J?" He looked anxious.

Sav pursed his lips and quickly sat down at the table. He turned to the younger boy. "It didn't go well," he said cautiously.

Adam looked down. Sav reached out and touch his shoulder.

"Nothing's been decided yet," he offered.

Adam snorted. "She's taking her away, isn't she?" he asked. From the moment he heard Fiona's mom was flying in he had been scared this was how things would end.

Eli clinched his jaw. As much as he disliked Fiona, he really wanted to punch Drew at the moment. What he did was overkill and the fallout was just brutal.

Sav paused. "Well, let me start from the beginning. Holly J went to the condo and waited for Fiona and her mom. Mrs. Coyne is really angry with Holly J and blames her for not looking out for Fiona."

"That's ridiculous!" Clare interjected. "Holly J has been an amazing friend to her."

Sav nodded as he looked at the younger girl. "I know. I think she wants someone to blame." He turned back to Adam. "They exchanged some words before she asked Holly J to leave. As you can imagine, Fiona's mom isn't happy about the statutory rape threat and she's thinking about taking Fiona back to New York."

-oOo-

Getting through the rest of the day was torture but somehow three o'clock finally came and Adam found himself outside waiting for his mom. Eli and Clare sat next to him on the steps.

"What do you think will happen?" Eli asked curiously.

Adam shrugged. "I don't know. I'm grounded. No phone, TV, internet, or comics. She'll probably drive us home and have me do homework."

"Do you want to try calling Fiona's phone again?" Clare asked. She had her cell phone in hand.

"No thanks, Clare," Adam said dispassionately. All of them tried reaching her throughout the day but it went straight to voicemail every time.

"Well, I'll keep trying tonight," she assured him. Fiona wasn't her favorite person, but she didn't deserve what she was going through.

Adam looked at her and smiled slightly. "Thank you."

"It's the least we can do," Eli told him as he clapped a hand on his shoulder.

Adam sighed. It would have nice if they had been this kind before.

Drew slowly approached his brother from behind. Bianca was holding his hand.

"He might be angry, but you have to keep trying," she whispered to him.

Drew gave her a look. "You heard what Sav told us. He's going to hate me forever! I got his girlfriend sent away."

Bianca winced. She couldn't believe Adam and Fiona's mothers both flipped out so badly upon learning that the couple slept together. It was so screwed up. They were just kids and they seemed to care about each other. She didn't see what the big deal was.

"You have to try," Bianca insisted.

They both grew quiet as they approached hearing range of the trio.

"Adam," Drew said nervously. Adam looked up and instantly narrowed his eyes.

"You," Eli said darkly and instantly jumped up. "Why do you have to be such a prick?"

"I didn't know all of this was going to happen!" Drew protested.

Adam stood up. "What did you think would happen when you wrote that note to mom!" he yelled at his brother.

Drew froze. "Alright, I wanted you and Fiona to break up," he admitted. "But I didn't think mom was going to threaten filing statutory rape charges! And I didn't think that Fiona's mom would want to take her back to New York. I'm sorry!" His eyes were full of remorse.

Adam glared him. "It's my life! Not yours! You shouldn't have gotten involved in the first place!" he screamed at him.

Eli, Clare, and Bianca looked on nervously.

Suddenly an approaching car honked. They all turned to see Mrs. Torres driving up. After a moment a silence Drew turned to his brother.

"Adam," he said quietly.

Adam shook his head angrily and turned on his heel. He grabbed his book bag and walked over to the car without a backwards glance. He claimed the back seat.

Drew and Bianca shared a look.

"Keep trying," she said in response to his defeated look.

Drew sighed. "Right," he said unconvinced.

-oOo-

Adam sat in the back with his head phones on full blast the whole car ride. He was in his own world, so he didn't notice that they weren't heading home. When the car came to a stop he looked around in shock. They were downtown, in front of a familiar building.

"Mom, what are we doing here!" he asked alarmed.

She had already taken off her seat belt and was getting out. Drew sent him a sympathetic look and exited the car from the passenger side.

"Shit!" Adam said under his breath and opened the door. Sure enough, they were right across the street from Fiona's condo. "What are we doing here?" he demanded.

"I spoke to Fiona's mom–"

"We heard," Drew interjected pointedly.

"We're going upstairs for a chat," Mrs. Torres declared.

Adam and Drew shared a worried look.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Double update in progress... Feel free to **double review**, lol!


	6. Breaking Point

"Bury The Castle" – part 5

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: **FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

When he saw her, Adam longed to run to her and hold her in his arms. She sat stiffly on one of the living room chairs. She didn't look happy and his heart broke for her.

"Fiona," he called out. She looked up, surprised to hear his voice. The moment their eyes met she smiled. Adam smiled broadly, relieved to see her after worrying about her all day. He took a step towards her when an accusatory voice interrupted the moment.

"So you're the one?" Mrs. Coyne questioned impatiently. She narrowed her eyes as she studied him.

"I'd appreciate it if you would refrain from directly addressing my son," Mrs. Torres retorted, annoyed with the other woman's tone.

Drew held in a smirk. This was going to be good. He glanced at his brother and immediately felt bad for enjoying the fireworks between the two women. He recognized the look on Adam's face and he was ashamed that his actions led to this.

Moments later they settled into seats. The Coynes were on one side, the Torres family on the other.

"I think this matter can be settled without filing charges," Mrs. Coyne stated.

Adam looked at his mom. To his surprise she was nodding.

"I wholeheartedly agree," Mrs. Torres affirmed. Adam and Drew exchanged a confused look. "All I ask is that you keep your daughter away from my child."

Drew snorted. His mother sent him a warning look.

Mrs. Coyne had a tight smile. "I'm not in favor of this relationship either."

Mrs. Torres smiled. "That's good to hear."

"My daughter has been through a lot recently. She's impressionable and doesn't know what she wants. I don't think Adam is a good influence on her," Mrs. Coyne continued.

Fiona bit her lip. It was nauseating hearing them talk like she and Adam weren't in the room. She glanced at him again, and he sent her a reassuring look.

Mrs. Torres had a wry smile. "Well, it's obvious the influencing is the other way around. He's the younger party and your daughter pressured him into sex."

Adam gaped at his mom in shock. He couldn't believe that she said that.

Mrs. Coyne openly glared at her. "I beg your pardon?"

"Adam is a good kid. He's straight A student and is on the science team. Hardly seems like a 'bad influence'. I can't say the same for your daughter," Mrs. Torres remarked.

Mrs. Coyne scoffed. "Look, you can pretend he's normal all you want, but I don't appreciate your kid putting strange ideas into my daughter's head!"

"Mom!" Fiona called out.

Adam turned his mother. "Mom, can we try to be civil?" he pleaded.

Mrs. Torres ignored him. "You don't talk about my son that way!" she yelled at Mrs. Coyne.

"Your words about my daughter were uncalled for," Mrs. Coyne asserted.

Adam caught Fiona's eye. This whole thing was embarrassing and absurd. He walked over to her and smiled. She looked back at him with a question in her eyes.

"What are you doing?" Mrs. Torres interrupted the moment.

He looked at Fiona and took a deep breath. "I don't think this is a big deal. I wasn't pressured into anything," he said honestly.

"Adam, you're 15!" his mother countered.

"I'm turning 16 in two weeks," he reminded her. "You can't prove anything anyway, so I don't see the problem." He grabbed Fiona's hand. "We want to be together."

Drew grinned. He didn't know where his brother found this well of inner strength to stand up to their mom, but he was proud of him. "Yeah, mom. They're happy together. I think this is being blown way out of proportion," he offered, backing Adam up.

Mrs. Coyne shook her head. "I don't approve."

Mrs. Torres nodded. "Neither do I."

They were at a stalemate.

Adam sighed.

-oOo-

Fiona snuggled closer to Adam. He smiled content to have her in his arms. They were sitting on the couch, side by side with his arm tightly wrapped around her shoulders. Drew was seated across from them with his eyes fixed on the hallway. He was their lookout, which was the least he could do after getting them into this mess in the first place.

Ten minutes earlier Mrs. Coyne and Mrs. Torres went into the office to speak privately. Their discussion was getting nowhere with the teens in earshot. The trio was slightly worried, but at the moment enjoyed a welcome reprieve from the nightmare scene earlier. Apparently the two older women could go toe to toe.

Adam looked into Fiona's eyes. "No matter what they say, it's our lives," he said quietly.

She nodded. "I really hate this."

"Me too," he admitted. He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"They're coming!" Drew hissed.

The couple added some space in between them just as their mothers walked in.

"Drew, Adam. Let's go," Mrs. Torres announced.

Adam glanced at Fiona.

"Wait, what happened?" Drew pressed.

The two women looked at each other.

"We came to agreement," Mrs. Torres told him. "Let's go. Now."

Fiona gave Adam a sad smile. "See you later?"

He grinned at her. "Absolutely. Have a good night, princess." As he stood up he wanted to kiss her, however he knew with their parents standing near and watching it wasn't a good idea. He stared at her a moment before deciding not to care. He brought his hand to her chin as he leaned down and closed the distance between their lips. It was a chaste kiss, but he put all the emotion he was feeling into in. Heavy on his mind was the knowledge that he loved her and that even now, when there was a real possibility their romance might be over, he was too scared to say it. He was worried that she wouldn't say it back. Or worse, that she would but wouldn't mean it. Despite his restraint, they both felt a jolt when they kissed. Yet again there was a spark between them, which let them know that even though they faced much uncertainty, whatever was between them was far from over.

When Adam pulled away, they were both smiling.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Awww. The end.

Just kidding! So wrong, I know... Next update will be tomorrow. What do you think will happen?

**Review! You gotta add your two cents :D**


	7. Fresh Start

"Bury The Castle" – part 6

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: Okay, we're moving ahead in time a bit. Also, this is the start of a new arc which is pretty neat. Many thanks for the reviews!

**FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

**Ten days later…**

.

"So, how are things at _casa_ Torres?" Bianca asked her boyfriend. They had been hanging out at the ravine for about an hour or so.

Drew scrunched his nose. He'd rather engage in another round of kissing than talk about this. It was a touchy topic. The past week and half had been really tense at home. While Adam appreciated his support during the confrontation at Fiona's condo, his brother still was angry with him. He couldn't blame him. "It's getting better."

Bianca raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Drew nodded. "My mom is pretty happy that Adam and Fiona ended things. Adam is still having a hard time with it, of course. I just think he needs to get out there. There are plenty of other fish in the sea.

Bianca snorted. "Easy for you to say. He was pretty attached to her."

"I know," Drew acknowledged. "But when they broke up the first time, he lamented that he would never find anyone else willing to date a guy like him. That's not true, and once he sees that he'll be back in top form."

Bianca sighed. Drew mentioned this more than few times. He really thought the answer to Adam's dilemma was finding him a new girl. She didn't think it was that simple. However, it couldn't hurt. "I might know someone."

Drew perked up. "Really?" he smiled.

She nodded. "A new co-worker of mine. You know, from the store." Drew nodded. "She seems pretty cool. She's around his age and seems pretty open."

Drew furrowed his brows. "How open?" he questioned. He didn't want his brother to be rejected for who he was.

Bianca smirked at him. He was pretty cute when he was in protective older brother mode. "She's dated guys and girls before. I don't think a transgendered guy would be an issue for her."

Drew considered her words. "And you think she'd be up for a blind date?"

"I'll set it up," Bianca told him.

"You're awesome, you know that?" he beamed. He leaned in and kissed her.

-oOo-

Adam sighed as he adjusted his beanie in the mirror.

"You look great! Tonight's going to be awesome," Drew assured him.

Adam rolled his eyes. He was already having regrets about agreeing to this. "Sure, Drew," he said dispassionately.

Drew studied him. "Why the long face?"

Adam gave him a look.

"Okay, okay! I'm really sorry about everything – but you have a date tonight with a smoking hot girl!" he said excitedly. Bianca had introduced Drew to the girl yesterday and he thought Adam had definitely lucked out.

"She's not Fiona," Adam retorted.

Drew sighed and rested his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Hey, tonight is a fresh start," he said with sincerity. He needed this to go well for his little bro. He longed for things between them to go back to the way they were before. When it was him and Adam against the world.

"Yeah, yeah. I know the drill," Adam responded.

-oOo-

Despite himself, Adam cracked a small smile. Thea was a pretty cool chick. They were currently at dinner. They had just watched a slasher flick at the local cinema and she was explaining her technique for outsmarting a homicidal maniac.

"Why would anyone run upstairs? It defies logic!" Thea laughed. She had somewhat short raven black hair with streaks of pink. Her style was closer to Eli's than his.

Adam chuckled. "Exactly. It's ridiculous. I'd take my chance running through the woods."

"Yup," she said as she reached for her soda. She looked at him for a moment. "So, are you having a good time?"

He grinned. "Shouldn't that be my line?"

She giggled. He found the sound pleasant. "And why is that?" she teased him.

He shrugged. She wasn't at all what he was expecting. "Hey, I'll be right back. Going to the restroom."

She nodded. "Knock yourself out," she laughed.

As he walked away from the table he let out a breath. He was having fun tonight, which made him feel bad about being here on false pretenses.

"Hey, stranger."

He turned in the direction of the familiar voice and smiled broadly. "Is this a coincidence or something?"

Fiona laughed. "Maybe. Maybe not," she teased.

He quickly looked around before stepping towards her. He was confident that the wall dividers near the bathroom hid them from view. "Either way, I'm a lucky guy."

He looked into her eyes for a moment before crashing his lips onto hers. He pulled her close and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She flicked her tongue across his bottom lip and he eagerly responded, deepening their kiss.

"Wow," Fiona chuckled when they pulled apart moments later. "I miss you too," she joked.

He caressed her cheek.

"So how's your date going?" she asked lightly.

Adam sighed. "It's alright. She's pretty cool, actually."

She raised an eyebrow. "Should I be worried?" she asked with mock concern.

He grinned. "She's no you. At least after tonight Drew will be off my case."

Fiona nodded.

"Well, I should go." He stared into her eyes for a moment longer. "See you tomorrow?"

"Of course," she stated. They shared another lingering kiss.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Oh snap! Rules? Who needs to follow them! ;-) Did anyone guess this outcome? If you're confused, it's fine. More will be revealed in chapters to come!

**Review! Come on, I know you want to :D**


	8. Half Truths

"Bury The Castle" – part 7

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! Lots of guesses, we'll find out if they're spot on in this chapter.

**FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

BTW, there's a really long author's note at the end about future updates.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

As they approached the end of the date, Adam and Thea found themselves locked in comfortable conversation over dessert. They had been talking about relationships and dating.

"So, why did you agree to go out with me?" Adam asked as he compiled another scoop of ice cream on his spoon. "You don't seem like the blind date type."

Thea laughed. "So there's a type?"

Adam shrugged. "Probably not. It's just from what you said it sounds like you don't have trouble meeting people." Thea was just a few months older than him, but she already had a few serious relationships under her belt. It wasn't hard for him to see why. She was personable and fun. She was also very pretty but with her own unique alternative style.

Thea grinned at him. "Well, Bianca spoke about you more than a few times. You sounded interesting, and when I saw your picture I thought, 'why not?'"

Adam blushed.

"It's a shame about your girlfriend," she added.

Adam raised an eyebrow. "You mean, my ex-girlfriend."

Thea looked at him. "Nope. Unless that was another girl you were kissing," she responded nonchalantly.

Adam looked away embarrassed. "Hey, I'm _really_ sorry," he told her. He had been busted and felt guilty about leading her on.

To his surprise Thea laughed. "Look, don't worry about it. I had an inkling that you weren't over her since you guys broke up so recently." Adam looked at her. "I get why you agreed. I met your brother and he seems eager to get you paired off with someone new."

Adam chuckled. "That sounds like him." He paused. "I didn't mean to waste your time."

Thea shook her head. "You didn't. I had fun tonight and got a free meal out of the deal."

Adam grinned. "Touché."

She raised her cup and they clinked their glasses.

"Anyway, kudos on the secret relationship thing," Thea told him. "I could see why you'd want to keep it going. She's hot!"

Adam smiled broadly. "I wholeheartedly agree." They fell into a short companionable silence. As he watched Thea take another bite of the brownie sundae they were sharing, a curious look came over his face. "So, you've dated guys and girls before. I was wondering, how do you identify?"

Thea looked up with a smile. "I'm not a fan of labels."

"Right," Adam quickly said. Neither was Fiona, though mainly because she was still figuring things out.

"But for awhile I was cool with bisexual. However, I feel like the term pansexual fits me better," she admitted. "One of my exes is genderqueer."

He slowly nodded. He was familiar with the term genderqueer but he wasn't sure about the other one. "What's the difference between bisexual and pansexual?"

"With the first one, you're into girls and guys. Pansexual is inclusive of all genders. Transgendered, intersexed, genderqueer, no gender, androgynies, etc.," Thea explained.

"I see," Adam responded.

"I feel it's a better fit because gender has never been a factor in who I am attracted to. Neither has sexual orientation. I've developed crushes on straight girls and gay guys before, both which can be depressingly futile!" she laughed.

He joined in, knowing the pain of unrequited crushes all too well.

Thea continued, "The common denominator for anyone I have liked or dated is that they've been a close friend and I really liked them as a person. I'm more careful about my friendships nowadays because I know I have the tendency to develop feelings for people I'm close to."

Adam nodded. "I could see how that would be a problem."

She waved him off. "It's not really. I mean, a crush is a crush. It sucks when it doesn't work out, but it's great when it does. The feelings you have for a crush are not comparable for the feelings you have when you begin dating that person. How it started doesn't matter. The feelings aren't any less real."

He smiled at her. "Very true." A crush was rooted in the possibility of what could be. Starting a relationship with someone you like was a different animal. For awhile he had been insecure about Fiona's past feelings for Holly J, but as their romance continued he realized what he and Fiona had together was on a different level. It involved reciprocated affection and ran much deeper.

Thea smiled back at Adam and gathered another spoonful of ice cream.

-oOo-

Drew was waiting by the stairs when he came back. Adam inwardly groaned.

"So?" he questioned excitedly.

Adam snorted. "We had a really good time," he said honestly.

"Bingo!" Drew exclaimed and pumped his fist in the air.

Despite himself, Adam laughed.

"So, when are you guys going to see each other again?" Drew asked. He was ecstatic that he hit it out of the park on the first try.

Adam sighed. "We're not. We hit it off pretty well though, _as friends_," he emphasized.

Drew's face fell. "What? Come on! She's gorgeous and you said you had a good time!"

"She is and we did, but Drew… Mom forced me to break up with Fiona a week and a half ago. I can't just forget her and move on," Adam told him.

Drew furrowed his brows. "Why not?" he said annoyed.

Adam gave him a warning look.

"Sorry! Didn't mean to be insensitive… it's just… I want you to be happy, Adam. I really do. Things aren't going to work out with Fiona. Even if mom changed her mind tonight, Fiona's mother wouldn't. In fact, she'd ship Fiona back to New York if she heard you guys reconciled," Drew reminded his brother.

Adam looked away. "I know that! I can't help how I feel."

Drew studied him for a moment. "Listen, you're my brother. You're the best brother a guy could ever have. You've always had my back… even when I didn't deserve it. I am truly sorry for messing things up for you and Fiona. If I could take it all back I would." He paused. He hated that things got so screwed up. "We're going to get through this together because there is no other way. From here on out I have your back 100%. I love you, man."

Adam looked at his brother and smiled. He could see that Drew was truly torn up about this and wanted to ease his mind. "Thanks, man. Me too. I know you feel bad and all, but you don't have to. I've already forgiven you."

Drew blinked. "You have?"

Adam chuckled. "Of course. I know I haven't been the easiest person to be around lately, I'm just… It's hard. I love her."

Drew softened. "I know. It'll burn for awhile, but in time you'll get through it. Believe me, I know."

Adam felt a mild hint of annoyance at his words, but let it go. He didn't want to get over Fiona. He wanted to be with her without their families and friends flipping out. "You're right," he lied. "I'm going to hit the sack. I'm wiped out."

Drew laughed and threw an arm around his brother's shoulders. "What? Got tired from eating too much popcorn or something?" he teased.

Adam looked at him. "Har, har."

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Thea's like ten shades of awesome ;-) And Drew's getting redeemable. Indeed, you guys got it right about Fadam, haha! We'll see where all of this is heading… Next chapter is centered on Fiona!

**Reviews are super cool! Because I said so :-p**

* * *

_._**_  
A word about updating fics:_**

_Hey readers! First off, I'm thrilled that you're reading my stories! It's great to share them and it's excellent that they have been well received. I just wanted to let you about plans to update my 3 latest on-going fics: "Bury The Castle", "Long Weekend", and "The Wedding"._

_Since I started writing Fadam stories I've grown as a writer. I used to have trouble finishing stories, but with this ship I've been able to complete so many I'm in awe! With writer's block, my stories were never long, but now I have several that are 40+ pages (my longest was "Radiate" which was 92 pages in Word!)_

_I find it easiest to publish completed stories, but currently I have 3 fics which I'm still writing. Even though it's the most recent, I'm closest to finishing "Bury The Castle", which is why I'm able to update it daily. "Long Weekend" is progressing well too, but it's intended to be a much longer story than the other two. I love writing "The Wedding", but apparently my limit is working on 2 unfinished stories at a time (guess I run out of creative space in my mind!). So, I'm going to keep going with "Bury The Castle" until the ending is written, then I should have space freed up to complete "The Wedding"._

_What I love about "Bury The Castle" is it's an outlet for my worries and frustrations about where Fadam is headed on the show. It interesting to incorporate some of the darker themes and 'worse case scenarios' from the promos. "Long Weekend" is fun to write because it's part of my Fadam timeline stories, which has long been AU (it diverged from the show after the episode "All Falls Down"). It's part of a larger Fadam series and I enjoy writing new fics for it._

_Anyway, I know this is the longest author's note ever! Sorry about that. As many of you who have PMed me before know, I can talk for days about Fadam and/or Fadam fics!_

_Thanks for reading! I hope that I cleared up any confusion about updating._

_-Cheers!_


	9. Looking Up

"Bury The Castle" – part 8

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: **FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

Fiona sighed as she left her bedroom. She had just taken a shower and was fully dressed for school. It was another day of pretending like she and Adam weren't dating anymore. It was frustrating to say the least. Still, there were small things to look forward to. They couldn't risk tipping anyone off by communicating via text or email, but occasionally Adam would slip a handwritten note into her locker. She cherished them and it never failed to brighten her day. It was ironic, given that notes had caused the demise of their relationship twice – first, with the note she wrote about Holly J, and second, with the note Drew wrote to Mrs. Torres – but now writing to one another was their saving grace. Also, the occasional stolen kiss during school hours did wonders to keep them going.

Fiona smiled at the memories as she rounded the corner, en route to the kitchen. She was fully prepared to come face to face with her jailor, or as her mom put it, her full-time "housekeeper". At first her mother was determined to return with Fiona to New York. She wanted to keep a closer eye on her and it wasn't practical for her to move to Toronto. The major issue was that Fiona would almost certainly have to repeat her senior year if she was pulled out of Degrassi now. However, once her mother saw how adamant Adam's mom was about keeping the two teens apart she formulated a new plan so that Fiona could finish out the year.

Mrs. Coyne decided that Fiona needed more supervision so she hired a "housekeeper" that worked at the condo six days a week, from 6am to 9pm. In addition to those hours, she stayed overnight at the condo three days a week. The schedule had been worked out directly with her mother, so Fiona was never sure which days Mrs. Consuelos, an elderly woman in her sixties, would actually be there overnight.

"Good morning," Fiona said dispassionately as she reached the kitchen. She was very hungry this morning so she was actually grateful that she had someone to cook breakfast for her.

"You don't seem happy to see me at all," a familiar voice said amused.

Fiona quickly looked up. "Declan?"

He grinned at her. She rushed toward her brother and pulled him into a hug.

"I stand corrected," he smirked when they pulled apart.

Fiona glanced around the apartment. "Where's Mrs. Consuelos?" she asked confused.

Declan laughed. "Well, I got the okay from mom to visit for a few days so your jailor has this time off."

Fiona gave him a look. "My life is a cosmic joke," she lamented as she said down on a stool. She was 17 and had a live-in guardian.

Declan took a seat next to her. "It's not that bad."

Fiona snorted. "I have a babysitter."

Her twin shrugged. "It's just until mom cools down."

"Do you see that happening anytime soon?" she questioned.

Declan winced. "Well, I think we all learned our lesson here."

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Next time check ID before jumping into bed?" he joked. She hit his arm. "Ouch. That hurt!"

-oOo-

Fiona smiled as she entered the combination for her locker. This morning had been wonderful. She had no idea that Declan was visiting and she was super happy that he had. The two of them went to a nearby French bistro for breakfast. They had a long talk over scones, fresh fruit, and lattes. It was like old times. She told him more about her relationship with Adam, though she kept the fact that they were still dating to herself. Declan said he wanted to meet him but she vetoed that idea.

When she got the door open she excitedly reached into her locker. She was hoping to find a note from Adam, but unfortunately she didn't see anything.

"Why the long face?" she heard from behind.

Fiona instantly frowned. It didn't take long for people to catch onto the fact that she and Adam were "broken up". They went from spending lots of time together and being affectionate to barely talking while in school. Around day three Patrick Corgan starting hitting on her and he just wouldn't take a hint! Patrick was a fellow senior. He was a tall, solidly built jock with medium brown hair and blue eyes. He was somewhat of a bully and ran with a group of jocks who worshipped him like a god. Fiona found him irritating and wished he wasn't fixated on her.

"Oh, it's you," she deadpanned. She wasn't amused.

Patrick smiled broadly. "See what I mean, I'm unforgettable!"

Fiona rolled her eyes.

He smirked at her undeterred. Patrick loved a challenge and regarded Fiona Coyne as the ultimate challenge. She was stunningly beautiful, rich, and according to her dating history he figured she was the type of a girl who wouldn't say no a threesome. He quickly decided that she was his kind of girl. He was smitten and determined to win the bet he made with his friends.

Fiona slammed her locker shut and began walking to class.

"So, Fiona. What are you going to wear on our date?" he asked as he fell into step with her pace.

She looked at him. "Like I said the first twenty times you asked me, we're not going on a date," she responded.

He chuckled. "Well, see about that," he said and began to walk away.

She shook her head. "No, we won't," she refuted.

Holly J was fuming as she walked up to her friend. "Is that guy still giving you trouble?"

"He's more dense than they usually are," Fiona noted.

As the two of them walked to class Holly J remarked on the irony of Fiona's situation. If her friend had been a guy questioning his sexuality, it was likely most girls would lose interest in him and other boys might be hostile towards him. As a girl questioning her sexuality, Fiona's dating pool expanded. Girls approached her now that it was known she was open to dating other girls, and her popularity with guys had remained the same, if not increased with this revelation. Most people were respectful, but then there were tools like Patrick who wouldn't leave her alone. Holly J almost wished her friend was still dating Adam so at least guys like him would back off.

"Anyway, guess who got a 'get of jail free' card?" Fiona grinned.

Holly J looked at her surprised. "You're mom eased up?" The woman had been so unreasonable towards this whole situation with Adam that she did not expect it. Mrs. Coyne was still livid with her. She had gone as far as changing the locks so that Holly J wouldn't have access to the condo.

Fiona's face fell a little bit. "No," she admitted. "But Declan's in town! It's going to be just the two of us for a few days!"

Holly J blinked. "That's great, Fiona! I'm really happy for you."

Fiona studied her for a moment. "I know you and Declan have your issues…"

Holly J waved her off. "It's fine. No, I really am happy."

"Perhaps, you can come to the condo for dinner one night?" Fiona asked in a hopeful tone.

Holly J thought about it. "Okay, fine."

"Yes!" Fiona said excited. Once again her morning was looking up.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Woo hoo! Declan's back! (Don't you just love that about fan fic? Hehe) But, yikes! Fiona has a housekeeper/jailor? *shakes head at Mrs. Coyne*

**Come on, Review! You know you want to :D**


	10. In The Know

"Bury The Castle" – part 9

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: **FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

"It's definitely B," Alli said triumphantly.

Adam looked up and smiled. "I came to the same conclusion."

The two shared a high five.

"We're going to kill the competition next week," Adam grinned. The two of them were using their free period to do extra studying for the science team. They had a match coming up on Monday.

Alli nodded. "Of course!"

Adam chuckled and gathered his books. The bell was going to ring soon so he figured he'd get a head start. Alli watched him curiously. "What?" he asked after a long moment. She quickly turned away.

"Nothing," she insisted.

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you want to know?" He had spent enough time with Alli to know when she was dying to ask about something. It was written all over her face.

Alli briefly debated whether or not to say what was on her mind. "Well… there is something that has been bugging me for awhile."

He looked at her. "And that is?"

She shrugged innocently. "I still don't get why you and Fiona broke up. One minute you guys seem happy and the next you're avoiding each other in the halls."

Adam frowned. "We don't avoid each other."

Alli gave him a knowing look. "Fine, you smile at each other from time to time. I'll give you that. But what's with the abrupt break up?"

Adam sighed. "Sav didn't tell you anything?"

Alli shook her head. "How come he knows and I don't?" she questioned.

Adam laughed heartily.

"I know your band bros and all, but we have science and Clare in common," Alli argued.

Adam shook his head. Leave it to Alli focus on being left out of the loop. Despite himself, he smiled. Though self-centered at times, she was a nice person. She didn't judge him and he was happy to call her a friend. "I don't know if I'm ready to tell this story," he said honestly.

Alli looked at him concerned. "Oh, no! I didn't mean to drudge up any painful memories." Now she felt bad for bringing up a touchy topic.

Adam shook his head. "No, it's not that. It's just depressing and embarrassing."

Alli winced. "Okay, you don't have to tell me."

He looked at her. She had given him an out, but now he was thinking it might be nice to talk about this with someone who was removed from the matter.

-oOo-

Patrick Corgan couldn't believe what he just overheard. He wanted to use the information to his advantage, but he couldn't shake feeling offended. Why would a beautiful girl like Fiona hook up with a freak like Adam? He had never taken their relationship seriously and didn't blink when he learned they broke up again. To him, Adam was the epitome of the "nice guy", and as such was the safe guy that girls dated in between real relationships.

It annoyed Patrick that she would get it on with Adam but continually turn _him_ down. Maybe she felt like he was too much to handle? He frowned at that thought and continued walking to class. If she spent one night with him he was confident that he would cure her confusion. He just had to figure out how to get her to agree to a date.

-oOo-

"If you're not gonna eat that you can give to me!" Eli smirked as he reached for Adam's fries.

Adam blinked and immediately moved his tray away. Clare and Eli laughed.

"Very funny, dude," Adam said annoyed.

"Where were you, man? You completely spaced," Eli smirked as he grabbed a forkful of mixed veggies.

Adam shrugged. "I was just thinking about things."

"Nice vague rebuttal!" Eli teased. Clare cringed, seeing him talk with food in his mouth. She turned to Adam.

"So, how did your date last night go?" she asked her friend.

"It went great, but I'm not ready to date anyone else," Adam told her.

Eli and Clare shared a look.

"You don't need to say anything about that. I heard it all from Drew already," he quickly added.

"I wasn't going to say anything," Eli said innocently.

Adam snorted. "Right, and pigs can fly!"

"I think it's fine for you to take your time, Adam," Clare remarked. "I mean, she was your first."

Both Adam and Eli raised their eyebrows and smirked.

She frowned at them. "Your first relationship!" she amended. The two boys laughed.

"Yeah, well, that too," Eli quipped.

Adam chuckled.

"You guys are ridiculous!" she said annoyed with their teasing.

"Oh, come on Clare!" Eli smiled. He placed an arm around her shoulder and she attempted to shake him off.

Adam laughed harder as he reached for his milk. He looked up and spotted Fiona across the lunch room. She was walking with Holly J and he thought she looked beautiful. It was the first time he saw her all day and he savored the moment. After a few seconds she looked his way and their eyes met. Fiona instantly smiled and he felt his heartbeat quicken. He loved her and missed her terribly. Adam smiled broadly at her. For a few seconds it felt like they were the only two people in the room.

Suddenly someone stepped into his line of sight, blocking his view.

Adam glared at his brother. "Do you mind?" he said annoyed.

"What?" Drew said innocently. Bianca, who was standing right next to him, rolled her eyes.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Ugh at the Patrick guy… Anyway, I think I'm going to double post since the next chapter is short, but quite eventful. Look for it later today!


	11. Fighting Words

"Bury The Castle" – part 10

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: Double update today! Enjoy :D

**FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

"Hey Fiona."

She sighed annoyed and kept walking. Patrick smirked.

"Hey, I just want to know one thing and I'll leave you alone," he promised her.

She paused, debating his offer. "Fine. What?" she said in a clipped tone.

"Okay, two things! First, will you go out with me Friday night?" he asked her in a hopeful tone.

She laughed. "No."

He furrowed his brows. "Don't you want to think about it before just saying no?"

She paused for a moment. "Um, no," she repeated.

"Forget you then," he retorted.

She nodded slowly. "Alright, I'm glad we're on the same page now," Fiona said as she began to walk away.

"Second, if you're going to hook up with girls then why couldn't you have hooked up with a hot one? At least that would make a much better mental image for the rest of us," he heckled her. He bumped fists with members of his entourage.

Fiona froze. He couldn't be referring to what she thought he was.

"I mean, why Adam? That's just ten shades of wrong!" he laughed. "Then again, maybe he's perfect for you since you can't make up your mind about what you want."

Apparently he was. She turned around, filled with anger. "Are you done? Because you're really pissing me off," she said darkly.

-oOo-

Further down the hall Clare and Adam were chatting at his locker. He looked up when he heard his name spoken. He spotted Fiona in the distance talking to Patrick and his friends. His eyes immediately narrowed.

Clare turned to see what he was looking at. "Adam," she said cautiously noting the dangerous look in her friend's eye.

It was no use. In seconds he slid his bookbag off his shoulder and threw it on the ground. Before she could ask him to stay he had already took off.

"Fiona, are you alright?" Adam asked as he approached them. He looked at her concerned and then gave Patrick a hard look.

"I'm fine, Adam," she told him.

"Speak of the devil," Patrick said amused.

"Dude, you seriously need a hobby. Something other than harassing girls who aren't interested in you," Adam retorted. The hallway grew even quieter as everyone listened in.

Patrick laughed and turned to Fiona. "Seriously? You_ slept_ this dude? He looks like he's 12 and he can't date you because his mommy doesn't approve," he sneered.

"Well she did, alright? Throwing a temper tantrum over it is pretty pathetic," Adam argued.

Patrick snapped his eyes back to the younger boy. "Look, don't test me freak! You're a guy in name only so watch your mouth," he barked.

"Or what?" Adam challenged. He wanted to smack the smirk off of the bully's face. The hallway grew tense.

"Adam," Fiona said in a warning tone. She could see the confrontation escalating and didn't want him to get hurt.

Adam ignored her. He and Patrick continued to glare at each other.

"Hey Corgan! Back away from my brother," Drew demanded. He hurriedly walked towards them, with Bianca trailing not far behind.

Patrick rolled his eyes. "How could I forget you guys come two for one?" he jeered.

Drew frowned as he stood beside his brother. He glanced at Adam and was relieved that he seemed okay. However, he could feel the tension and he didn't want things to get worse. "Look, whatever's going on let's just squash it, alright?"

Patrick shook his head. "It's a little too late for that. Your 'brother' here has a big mouth but nothing to back it up with and I'm not scared of you, Drew."

Drew narrowed his eyes. "You should be," he said in a dangerous tone.

"You're a joke man!" Patrick retorted. "It's hard for any of us to take you seriously when your girl has blown most of us in the boiling room."

Drew and Adam shared a brief look before both brothers lunged forward.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Okay, a bit of a cliffie, but when you read the next part you'll see why cutting it here makes sense!

**Review! You know you wanna :D**


	12. Decode

"Bury The Castle" – part 11

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! In this chapter we see what happened…

On a sidenote, Spring Forward _really_ sucks. I could really use that missing hour :'(

**FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

"Don't mess with the Torres brothers," Bianca said in jest.

They all laughed as they clinked their glasses. Drew and Adam shared an amused look. They were at the Dot with their friends after school.

"I was far down the hall, but I definitely saw the two of you jump forward in perfectly timed precision. It was like you were tag team wrestlers," Eli noted.

Drew shrugged. "That shows years of practice," he quipped.

"I appreciate you standing up for me," Bianca grinned at him. Drew smiled and leaned in to kiss her.

"Yeah, well I'm glad Principal Simpson showed up before anyone got hurt," Clare commented.

After Adam ran to confront Patrick and his friends, she had watched for awhile before deciding to get Simpson to intervene. When he arrived there was some shoving going on but it was broken up before it got too wild. Adam and Drew were very lucky. Because neither had a record of infractions, they avoided suspension and detention. Principal Simpson let them off with a warning, probably because he didn't want Mrs. Torres to come down to the school. However, he informed them that he was sending a written note about the incident to their parents.

"I don't know. It's too early to tell," Adam deadpanned. He wasn't looking forward to their mom finding out about this.

Drew looked at him solemnly. "Hey, I said I'd fall on the sword for this. Don't worry."

While they were waiting outside Simpson's office he told Adam that he would take the blame for the argument and say that Adam was merely backing him up.

"You think she'll actually buy that?" Adam had asked him at the time.

Drew had smiled at him before answering, "Sure. I'll just say I was defending Bianca's honor. She likes her so I'm sure it will be okay."

As they sat table Adam looked at his brother unconvinced. "We'll see. She's on my case about everything these days," he complained about their mother.

The front door chimed open and Adam looked up. In walked Fiona with her twin brother, Declan Coyne. Adam had seen pictures of him, but the two had never met. Drew followed his line of sight and then turned back towards his brother. He gave him a warning look.

Adam stood up. "I'm going to get a refill," he announced.

Eli smirked and exchanged a knowing look with Clare.

-oOo-

"So, Holly J agreed to dinner?" Declan asked in an upbeat tone.

Fiona rolled her eyes. "I didn't stutter, did I?"

The twins were walking to the Dot to grab some coffee. She preferred heading somewhere else, where it was less likely to run into folks from school but he insisted.

Declan laughed. "Well then, we have to make it a fine dinner."

"Declan, I hope you aren't planning anything. She's busy with school and happy with Sav," Fiona said delicately.

He nodded. "I know that. It's just going to be good to see her."

Fiona looked at him for a long moment.

He grinned at her. "Honest. Now come on, let's get some caffeine," he said and held the door open for her. Fiona entered the Dot first and he followed. She was about halfway to the counter when she suddenly paused. She was looking across the room. Declan followed her line of sight and spotted a boy with brown hair standing up. He looked from her to him a few times before he made the connection.

As Fiona looked at Adam, she froze. It wasn't unusual for him to be at the Dot after school, but she just wasn't prepared to see him right this moment when she was with her brother. She silently willed him to stay where he was. She didn't want him and Declan to meet. She was worried if they did it would far too easy for her brother to tell they were still involved.

"Is that him?" she heard Declan say.

She turned to him. "Huh?" she asked confused.

Declan smirked. "Adam." Her slight pause said it all. He turned away to study the kid. To his surprise he was walking towards them. He looked pretty young but was surprisingly taller than he expected him to be.

"Hey Fiona," Adam said with a smile. Declan noticed his sister visibly brightened. He resisted the urge to shake his head.

"Adam. I'm glad to see that you're okay," she responded.

The younger boy chuckled. "That was nothing. Besides, Drew and I make a good team. I'm more worried about what our mom will say," he quipped.

Fiona laughed. "She's a bit scary."

"Just a bit," Adam added sarcastically.

"So I've heard," Declan interjected with a smirk. Fiona and Adam turned towards him, probably remembering his presence for the first time.

"Declan, this is Adam. Adam, this is my twin brother, Declan," Fiona introduced the two.

"Nice to meet you," Adam said politely.

Declan nodded. "I've heard_ lots_ of about you."

Fiona gave him a look.

"Good news I hope," Adam joked.

Declan cracked a smile. "Not all of it, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt," he teased.

"Fair enough," Adam remarked undeterred. He stole another glance at Fiona. "Anyway, I guess I better get my refill. It was good to finally meet you."

"Likewise. You're infamous in our house," Declan told him.

Fiona shot him an annoyed look. She turned to Adam, "Enjoy the rest of your afternoon."

He looked into her eyes and smiled. He wanted to say it couldn't get any better than this. Being with her was his favorite part of the day. "You too," he smiled.

-oOo-

"What are they laughing about?" Drew commented as he watched Adam, Fiona, and Declan chat across the room.

Bianca snorted. "You need to calm down," she told him.

Drew looked at her. "What?"

"The spying is a bit over the top," Clare commented.

Drew shook his head in disbelief. "I'm just observing. I don't know why Adam would want to meet his Ex's brother anyway. You got to admit, that's a little strange."

Eli shrugged. "Maybe. But I think it's time to leave it alone. Adam's a big boy."

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Haha! Patrick was totally deserving of a beat down. But, at least this way the Torres bros aren't suspended for fighting. Mrs. Torres' reaction to that would not have been pretty…

Declan and Adam finally met! Cool, no? (Btw, the next chapter will focus on the Coyne Twins!)

**Review! You know you wanna :D**


	13. The Edge

"Bury The Castle" – part 12

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! It's time for the Coyne twins! Enjoy!

**FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

Fiona was dying to know what Declan thought of Adam but he waited until they got back to the condo to say anything.

"You two are still totally into one another," he teased as he sat down on the couch.

"And still totally broken up thanks to mom," she insisted as she took a seat.

Declan scoffed. "Please. I wasn't born yesterday."

Fiona shook her head and reached for the remote.

"Don't worry. I won't tell mom," Declan grinned.

Fiona turned to him. "Listen, me and Adam are not dating," she said firmly.

Declan smirked. "If you wanted me to believe that you should have toned down the eyesex."

Fiona frowned. "Ew?"

Declan laughed. "Anyway, I won't tell mom. Just don't push things. If you can keep it under wraps until she cools down you'll be in the clear," he told her.

Fiona took a deep breath. "So what did you think of him?"

Declan chuckled. She gave him a look and he immediately stopped. "Well, he seems like a nice enough guy. Though, he looks awfully young, Fiona."

She sighed.

"It's like he's waiting to go through puberty..." Declan paused for moment before laughing.

Fiona narrowed her eyes. "You're an asshole."

He held up his hands. "Okay, sorry! I swear that was my first and last transgendered joke."

"It wasn't funny, Declan," she said coldly.

He looked at her and could tell she was angry. "Alright," he said holding back a grin.

"It's not a big joke!" she yelled at him. She tempered her voice before adding, "You don't know what it's like to walk in his shoes."

Declan sighed heavily. "You're right. That was stupid of me," he acknowledged. He felt bad about it. After a short silence he added, "I have to give credit where credit is due. It took guts for him to kiss you in front of mom."

Their mother was irate about that kiss, so Declan had heard about it a lot. He thought her main problem with it was that after that kiss it undeniable that the two were a couple with real feelings for one another. Apparently knowing something was different than seeing it firsthand. Their mom was an incredible woman who had taught them much about tolerance. However, when it came to her own kids they were quickly learning her shortcomings with acceptance. Her daughter being anything else but straight was a reality she was not prepared to face. And, her daughter dating a boy who wasn't physically a boy was something she immediately wanted to shut down.

Fiona slowly smiled at the memory. "Yeah, it did."

Declan grinned. "Must have been awkward though," he remarked. He couldn't imagine what that was like with their mom _and_ Mrs. Torres present.

She shook her head. "Actually it wasn't. It was the most natural thing in the world."

-oOo-

Two and a half hours later the twins had finished up their first movie. They watched the independent film "Winter's Bone". Deciding it was time to order food Fiona got up and went to the kitchen to grab some takeout menus.

"Okay, we have Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, and diner food to choose from," she said excitedly when she returned. Declan was looking at his phone with a serious expression. "Hello?" she laughed.

He looked up hesitantly. "Hey," he said slowly. "Don't be mad."

She threw him a quizzical look and sat down next to him on the sofa. "Well, that depends. Why would I be mad?"

"I have to fly back to New York tonight," he said quickly. He wore a sheepish expression.

"Declan!" she said annoyed.

"There's a project I'm working on at Vanderbilt prep. A stage show. I thought it would be fine for me to cut out early this week but my idiot assistant made a huge screw up with one of the props we have on loan," he explained. Fiona was disappointed and pouting. "I just looked it up and there's a 9 o'clock flight I can catch. If I fly back tonight, I can sort out everything Friday morning and be back here in the evening. We can still have dinner tomorrow with Holly J and everything."

Fiona looked away. "I never see you anymore."

Declan sighed. "I know. But we'll still have Friday night, and all day Saturday and Sunday to hang out," he pointed out.

-oOo-

After Declan left for the airport she did something stupid. She found herself alone in the apartment and restless. She decided to go downstairs for a walk and to pick up the food that she ordered. She stopped in the supermarket and bought something she shouldn't have.

Fiona found herself staring at the unopened bottle of champagne on the counter. She wanted just one drink, so bad. Her life was a mess. Her mother was furious with her. Her brother wasn't there for her. Her best friend was too busy for her. The guy that she loved couldn't be with her. And at seventeen she had a live-in nanny. She reached out and placed her hand on the bottle.

Suddenly her cell phone rang.

She blinked and fished it out of her pocket. "Hello?"

"Hey Fiona! It's me. I'm on break at work and just wanted to know how brother and sister bonding night is going?" Holly J said in a cheery tone.

Fiona ran a hand through her hair. "Great… until he hopped on a plane back to New York."

"What?" Holly J said surprised.

Fiona sighed. "There was some drama with his play at school he needed to sort out. Whatever."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Holly J said sincerely. She was furious with Declan. Fiona really needed him right now and he was nowhere to be found.

"It's the story of my life. He says he'll be back tomorrow night," Fiona told her friend.

"That's not good enough," Holly J said annoyed.

Fiona shrugged. "As usual, no one wants to be around me."

"Hey, that's not true!" Holly J countered.

Fiona snorted.

"I would stop by tonight, but I get off work late tonight so there's no point," Holly J insisted.

"Right," Fiona said sadly. She looked at the champagne bottle. It seemed even more alluring than before.

Holly J sighed into the phone. "Okay, if you want to me to come tonight I'll be there," she said determined.

Fiona shook her head. "No, it's alright, Holly J. I'll be fine. Really."

"Are you sure?" Holly J asked concerned.

"Yeah. I was just blowing off some steam about Declan," she assured her. "Look, have a good night. You don't have to worry about me."

After their call ended Fiona grabbed a bottle opener from the kitchen. She returned to the counter and proceeded to open the champagne. She smiled when the aroma hit her nose. She walked calmly to the kitchen cabinet and grabbed a wine glass. She poured a generous amount of the newly opened liquid into the cup. As she lifted it towards her mouth her hand was shaking.

Fiona had been sober for two months. As she looked at the glass in her hand, she thought about all she would be losing if she took a sip. Still, the pull of exquisite numbness was hard to resist. A reprieve from anxiety, nervousness, longing, guilt, rage, and a host of other emotions that took their toll on her. She put the glass to her lips.

Suddenly she thought of Adam. She wasn't sure why, but he popped into her head. She wanted to speak to him. To see him. She didn't want to do this. She placed the glass on the table and picked up her phone.

.

tbc


	14. Not Alone

"Bury The Castle" – part 13

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: Thanks so much for the reviews! Enjoy the next part.

**FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

Fiona grinned as she went to open the door. "That was quick," she remarked.

Adam stood on the other side with a wide grin on his face. He was dressed in casual clothes and had a bookbag on his shoulder. "I was in the neighborhood," he quipped as he followed her inside.

"Really?" she said unconvinced as she locked the door behind him.

He looked at her and laughed. "No. I took a cab."

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm impressed," she teased.

He reached for her hand. "It's amazing how much money you can save when you don't have a girlfriend to take on dates," he grinned.

"Is that so?" she said lightly. Adam wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. She enjoyed being in his arms.

He nodded as he looked into her eyes. "Yep." He then leaned forward and gently brought his lips to her. They continued to kiss for a long moment. When they pulled apart he rested his forehead on hers and let out a short laugh. "Thanks for inviting me over," he said softly.

Fiona merely smiled before moving away. "So how did you get this past your mom?" she asked curiously as they walked further into the apartment.

"I'm supposed to be spending the night at Eli's. I was over there when you called. He's covering for me," Adam told her.

"Um, does he know about us?" Fiona questioned. Last time she checked, his best friend was one of their detractors. If he spilled the beans about them still dating they would both be screwed.

Adam quickly shook his head. "No. He doesn't know where I went. I invoked the 'bro code'. No questions allowed," he assured her.

Fiona looked at him unconvinced.

"Fiona," Adam said slowly with a smile. As he looked in her direction he noticed something on the counter that was disconcerting. He quickly walked over there. "Fiona, what's this?"

He was appalled to see an open container of champagne with a glass of the stuff in open view. He furrowed his brows and turned to her. "Are you drinking again?"

Fiona closed her eyes for a brief moment. When she opened them again, Adam was standing in front of her with concern deeply etched into his face. "I almost did tonight," she admitted.

He looked deeply into her eyes. "Why?" he asked softly. She was touched to hear that there was no judgment in his voice.

"It's just…" she paused and looked away. "Everything's so screwed up right now. Sometimes it feels like too much to bear, and I feel so alone." Her voice was breaking.

Adam pulled her into a hug. "You are not alone," he said firmly. When she didn't respond, he pulled slightly back so he could look her in the eyes. He cupped her face as he repeated, "Fiona, you are _not_ alone. You'll always have me."

A tear fell down her cheek. "Will I?" she questioned.

He stared at her in disbelief. "Of course! I care about you, Fiona." She was the person he wanted to be with. There was no doubt in his mind.

"Your family and friends hate me. My mom doesn't want us to be together. How is it going to work?" she cried.

Adam wiped her tears away. "It doesn't matter what they think."

Fiona looked down. "I don't know. Maybe I did take advantage of you. You weren't ready for things to move so fast between us."

Adam clinched his jaw. "You didn't, Fi. Believe me, I wanted to be with you. I still want to be with you. After all we've gone through, I feel closer to you than ever before."

Fiona looked at him. "You do?"

He nodded. "Yes." After a moment he asked, "What about you? How do you feel about me?"

She looked into his eyes. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, but she couldn't work up the nerve. Instead she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. A few seconds later he responded and pulled her close. She wrapped her arms around his neck as their kiss deepened. Their tongues urgently caressed as they held on tightly to one another.

-oOo-

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Fiona asked him.

Adam stared back at her with a wicked grin and nodded. He was ready this time.

They were in her bedroom in differing states of undress. They had made out in the living room for a long while before mutually agreeing that a change of venue was in order as things heated up between them.

"I just don't want you to be uncomfortable," she stated. His struggle with dysphoria after they hooked up for the first time had been heartbreaking to watch. She didn't want him to go through that again.

"I'm fine, Fiona," he assured her. "Actually, I've never been better," he smirked. He was lying atop of his naked girlfriend. It was just the two of them and there were no distractions to ruin the moment. He had on just a black undershirt with his wrap. He was feeling good about this and fully enjoying the moment.

Seeing that she was still worried, he leaned down and gently kissed her lips. He was rewarded with a smile and he laughed. He stared at her a moment before moving away to kiss her neck. Then her collarbone. He began to slowly travel south to her breasts.

Fiona softly moaned.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Guess they're making the most of having the condo to themselves... The next part picks up on the following morning!

**Reviews = Awesome :D**


	15. Risks

"Bury The Castle" – part 14

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: **FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

The next morning Adam awoke with a smile on his face. When he opened his eyes he grinned broadly, thrilled that he was indeed still at Fiona's condo. He was disappointed that her side of the bed was empty, but the running shower indicated she was getting dressed. It was Friday morning so they had school.

As he slowly sat up memories of last night ran through his head. Lots of kissing. Touching. Exploring. And he had tried something he had never done before. They had both enjoyed it and he definitely wanted to do it again. The taste of her was amazing.

He winced a little when his feet touched the hardwood floor. It was cold. Adam stretched out his arms and then walked out of the room to find his bookbag. His school clothes and toiletries were inside. He quickly retrieved it from the living room and went to the guest bathroom. As he brushed his teeth he debated whether or not to take a shower. He glanced at the time of the clock and decided against it. He wanted to have breakfast ready for Fiona and he had amble time to finish getting ready afterward.

In no time Adam whipped up a batch of scrambled eggs and there was a fresh pot of coffee ready. He was delighted to see she had some muffins on the counter. He figured all three would make a good breakfast.

"Hey," Fiona said brightly as she walked into the kitchen. She had been pleasantly surprised when she stepped out into the hallway and the smell of freshly cooked eggs hit her nose. For a brief moment she was worried that her jailor returned, but she laughed it off when she realized it was just her and Adam at the condo.

"Hey princess," he grinned. They walked towards each other and shared a kiss. "You look beautiful in the morning," he told her.

She slightly blushed. "Thank you kind sir," she said while looking into his eyes.

"I only speak the truth," he laughed. He brought his hands to her waist and pulled her close. Their lips met in a passionate kiss.

"Fiona?" a voice called out. They quickly snapped apart but it was too late.

"Holly J?" she said surprised.

-oOo-

Fiona sounded really down when they talked last night, so Holly J decided that she would stop by in the morning. She went to her friend's favorite French bistro and picked up scones. Perhaps they would cheer her up. Holly J was still mad at Declan for bailing on his sister. Fiona had been on shaky ground the past few months so she needed his support more than ever.

As she reached her friend's building she took out her key. Mrs. Coyne had changed the locks right before she returned to New York but Fiona had made copies for Holly J anyway. She let herself in and walked towards the kitchen.

When she rounded the corner she saw an unexpected sight. Fiona and Adam were joined at the lips, in a passionate embrace. Fiona was wearing her school uniform, but Adam was just wearing a baggy t-shirt and boxers. She concluded that the younger boy had spent the night.

"What's going on?" Holly J said shocked. They were broken up! They had been for nearly two weeks! He was the last person she was expecting to see.

Fiona and Adam shared a look.

"Breakfast?" he responded in an upbeat tone. Fiona giggled.

Holly J frowned. "Seriously, Fiona? Do you _want_ your mom to ship you back to New York!"

Fiona sighed. "Of course not!"

"Then what is Adam doing here?" Holly J said pointedly. Her friend was playing with fire.

"She's not going to find out," Fiona countered.

"We're just waiting for them to cool off. Eventually they will," Adam offered.

Holly J narrowed her eyes. "We?" She looked at the two for a moment.

Fiona and Adam shared another look.

"We, uh… We never really broke up," Fiona admitted.

"What?" Holly J said thoroughly confused. How could she have missed this? It worried her that Fiona was able to hide this from her for so long.

After a long pause Fiona turned to Adam. "Hey, maybe it's a good idea for you to get dressed? I left extra towels in the bathroom."

He nodded. "Okay." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before heading down the hall.

Once he left the room, Holly J turned to her friend. "What the hell is going on Fiona?"

Fiona sighed and took a seat at the counter. "I don't see why I have to end things with Adam just because our moms flipped out."

Holly J looked at her. "Maybe because your mom is paying for the condo, your living expenses, and can send you back to New York at anytime?" she retorted.

"That doesn't give her the right to push her bigoted views on me!" Fiona argued.

Holly J let out a deep breath. "Those are harsh words, Fi."

"I know, but it doesn't make them any less true. I know what she thinks of Adam and why she's uncomfortable with me dating him. Growing up she taught us to be tolerant of everyone, but when it comes to me she just wants a 'normal' daughter," Fiona ranted.

"She'll adjust in time," Holly J said softly. "I know things are rough right now but you shouldn't use Adam as a pick me up," she said gently.

Fiona shook her head. "I'm not."

"Fi," Holly J started unconvinced.

"I'm not using him, Holly J! That's not why we're together," she refuted. "I love Adam."

Holly J sighed. "How can you be sure?"

Fiona narrowed her eyes. "I know how I feel about him." After a moment she softened. "Look, I know this may seem sudden but we have been together this whole time. We kept it to ourselves because we didn't want to risk it getting out. Besides you, Declan is the only one who knows."

"Declan knows?" Holly J said surprised.

Fiona nodded. "He kind of figured it out right away. He promised not to tell our mom."

Holly J slowly nodded. "I still think this is risky."

Fiona shrugged. "Adam's birthday is tomorrow. He's going to talk to his mom tonight and try to change her mind. It can't hurt. If he gets through to her we'll have one less parent on our case."

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Hmm, who's right here – Holly J or Fiona? Or maybe they both make valid points…

**Reviews = cool!**


	16. Leaks

"Bury The Castle" – part 15

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: **FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

Adam was almost fully dressed when he heard a knock on the door. He had on his khaki slacks, brown belt, and sneakers. He was wearing his black undershirt and had already wrapped his chest. The only thing he had left to do was put on his shirt.

"Just a minute!" he called out as he searched his bag for his purple sophomore shirt.

"It's just me. Open up!" he heard Fiona say amused.

Adam paused. Perhaps it would be alright. She had seen him with his wrap before. He walked over to the door and slowly opened it. Fiona smiled at him.

"Is it safe to enter?" she said in jest.

He nodded and stepped aside, letting her back into her room.

"Holly J left," she told him. She was holding a bag in her hands.

"How unfortunate," he deadpanned.

Fiona softly laughed. "She means well," she defended her.

He smirked. "So do Drew and Eli."

Fiona made a face and they both laughed.

"Anyway, I'm glad I caught you before you finished getting dressed," she told him.

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" he teased.

She grinned. "Because it makes it easier for you to try out my gift." She handed him the bag. "I know your birthday is tomorrow, but I wasn't sure when we'd have a chance to be alone together again."

Adam looked at her in wonder. For some reason it hadn't occurred to him that she would give him a gift. "Thanks Fiona."

She moved forward and kissed his cheek. "Open it."

He looked inside the bag and saw that she got him a chest binder. It seemed like a rather expensive one because he could tell it was made from quality material. He looked up and saw Fiona watching him with anxious expression.

"Do you like it?" she asked cautiously.

Adam let out a short laugh. "No. I _love_ it. Thanks Fi," he said genuinely and pulled her into a hug. If ever he doubted whether or not she saw him as male, this gift affirmed that she did.

-oOo-

"So where were you?" Eli questioned as he approached his friend.

Adam had been standing at his locker lost in thought. He grinned when he saw Eli. "Bro's code, remember?"

Eli frowned. "Come on! You took off pretty quickly. You could tell me."

Adam snorted. "Continuing this line of questioning is in direct conflict of the bro's code," he reminded him.

"Fine," Eli whined and crossed his arms. "I must say, I'm truly stumped. If Fiona's brother wasn't in town I would have thought you went there."

Adam gave him a look.

Eli held up his hands. "I know you guys are over and all. Okay, I'll stop speculating where you went."

Clare came up to them. "Morning!"' she said brightly.

Eli instantly had a silly grin on his face.

Adam rolled his eyes. "You guys give me the runs," he deadpanned.

The couple ignored him as they leaned in for a quick kiss.

He shook his head and looked off into the distance. He spotted Fiona watching him with a knowing smile. Sometimes it sucked being a third wheel, but this morning he didn't mind. It gave him the chance to gaze at her without observation. He smiled broadly at her and then winked.

Fiona laughed. The bell rang and the two said a silent goodbye.

"Mmm hmm," Holly J said as she walked up to her friend. She wore an amused grin.

Fiona looked at her. "What?"

"I'm just wondering how I missed all the eye flirting you guys do _all_ the time?" Holly J remarked as they walked to their first class.

Fiona laughed. She supposed there was no point in trying to deny it. "I guess it's one of those things if you're not looking for it…"

Holly J snorted. "Apparently."

-oOo-

Adam was on his way to lunch when someone tapped him on his shoulder. He furrowed his brows and quickly turned around.

"Got a sec?" Fiona asked him.

Adam smiled broadly. "Absolutely."

They both glanced around the hallway before ducking into an empty classroom. Adam smirked as Fiona closed the door.

"I like the way you think," he quipped.

Fiona laughed as he walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist. However, when he leaned in for a kiss she moved away. He threw her a quizzical expression.

"I actually pulled you in here to talk," she informed him.

"Oh," Adam said slightly disappointed. He loosened his hold on her.

"Wow, I'm sorry talking to me is such a chore!" she teased him.

He quickly shook his head. "No, of course not—"

Fiona looked at him amused. "You're adorable, you know that?" she cut him off.

He raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure if he liked that descriptor.

She sat down on top of one of the desks. "Anyway, I figured we should probably get our story straight. You know, regarding yesterday."

He stood in front of her. "Um, no knows that I stayed over at your place," he said confused.

"Not about that," she grinned. "What you said in the hall. In response to Patrick."

Adam searched his memories. He was pretty angry when he confronted the bully but didn't think he said anything problematic. "When I told him to get a hobby?" he guessed.

Fiona shot him an exasperated look and shook her head. She realized she would have to spell it out for him. "No. I meant when you confirmed to everyone listening that we slept together."

Adam eyes went wide. "Crap!" He had completely forgotten about that! He was so focused on wiping the smug look off of the older boy's face that the words just slipped out. How could he be so careless? "I'm _really_ sorry!"

Fiona had a small smile. "It's not the end of the world."

He looked at her surprised. "It isn't?"

She reached up and cupped his cheek. "Of course not. I have no regrets, Adam. Being with you was pretty amazing. Both times," she chuckled.

Adam slightly blushed. "Thanks," he said softly. "Same here."

She leaned towards him and gently kissed his lips. When they pulled apart they both smiled.

"However, it's private, you know? In my last class some girl asked me if it was true. I stared back at her with a blank look for a long moment before turning it around and asking why she would ask me such a personal question!" Fiona told him.

"That was a good rebuttal," Adam commended her.

Fiona nodded. "Righteous indignation works wonders," she quipped. "But, we should figure out what we're going to say because people are already talking about it. And the more they talk about it, the more they question why we broke up. I'd rather not confirm the conflict with our parents or rehash the statutory rape thing."

Adam sighed. "This is a mess."

"You don't say," she teased.

"What if we say nothing at all?" he suggested.

"Then people will assume it's true and move on to speculating about our break up," she reasoned.

"It _is_ true," he said in jest.

Fiona gave him a look. Adam laughed and wrapped his arms around her middle. He then leaned his forehead against hers.

"We'll figure it out," he said softly as he looked into her eyes. After a moment they both moved forward and their lips met in a kiss. Fiona soon deepened their kiss. Adam pulled her closer as he eagerly explored her mouth.

Suddenly the door flew open.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Oy! This secret relationship thing is starting to spring some leaks...

**Come on by and Review :D**


	17. Ticking Clock

"Bury The Castle" – part 16

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: Thanks for the awesome reviews guys! :D

**FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

Adam and Fiona snapped apart startled. Miss Oh stood in the doorway with a surprised expression. After a few seconds she cleared her throat.

"Don't you two have class to go to?" she said sternly.

Adam took a few steps back as Fiona hopped off the desk.

"Uh, we're going…" Adam said in a small voice. He didn't meet her eyes as he and Fiona quickly exited the room.

When they rounded the corner Fiona started laughing. He looked at her incredulously.

"This is funny to you?" he questioned as they walked down the deserted hall. Most students were either in class or at lunch.

He scoffed as she nodded. "It could have been worse!" she argued. "Thank goodness it was Miss Oh." They had gotten lucky that she didn't reprimand them.

Adam shook his head. "I have class with her next period," he complained. "It's going to be so awkward."

She giggled and grabbed his hand. "Hey, it could have been worse," she repeated calmly. They paused and faced each other.

Adam smiled as he looked into her eyes. After a brief moment he pulled his hand away. "Not here," he quietly reminded her. Her face fell a little.

"When?" she whispered sadly, speaking mostly to herself.

He sighed, feeling slightly powerless. "We're going to sort this out. I promise. Tonight I'm speaking to my mom," he reassured her.

Fiona cracked a small smile. "You know, we still didn't finish our discussion."

"Right," Adam chuckled.

"We should, unless you want everyone to realize Patrick was right," she pointed out in a light tone. "We broke up because both our moms don't approve of us dating and your mom wanted to file charges against me."

Adam groaned. The summary of how they got to this point sounded bad even when said in a teasing manner.

"Juicy!" a third party commented in an upbeat voice.

The couple turned around alarmed. Chantay Black looked back at them with a bright smile.

Adam looked at her warily. "What did you hear?"

"Enough for an excellent blog entry! FYI, the hallway isn't the best spot for a private conversation," Chantay quipped.

Adam flinched. Just when he thought the day couldn't get any worse, he was proven wrong.

Fiona looked at the other girl. Her expression didn't betray any emotion. "Chantay, I'm asking you not to repeat any of what you heard. Things are already complicated for us. We'd rather not have it go on public record," she leveled with her.

Chantay considered her words.

"Please," Fiona pressed.

After a moment Chantay rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine," she relented. What she overheard would make an epic post on her gossip blog, but standing face to face with the couple she couldn't ignore the human cost if she did so. Nor the fact she would feel guilty about the ensuing fallout.

Fiona and Adam let out breathes they didn't know they were holding.

"I just want to know one thing," Chantay said with a grin. She quickly added, "I won't publish it, I swear."

The couple shared an apprehensive look.

Degrassi's gossip queen looked at Adam curiously. "So, is it true? What you said to Patrick yesterday?"

He paused and glanced at Fiona. She shrugged. "Um… yeah," he answered.

Chantay looked at them excitedly. "I thought so! I'm never wrong about chemistry!"

Adam raised an eyebrow bemused. "Good for you?"

Chantay laughed. "You're funny!" Oddly enough, he found that her words were devoid of sarcasm.

-oOo-

Adam stared at his reflection in the mirror. For the first time in a long time he was satisfied with how he looked. More than that, he was _happy_ with how he looked!

He was wearing the chest binder shirt he received this morning from Fiona. He liked it because it looked like a regular sleeveless black t-shirt. The fabric was very comfortable. He looked forward to when he could wear it every day. It took time to adjust to wearing a binder, so at the moment he could only wear it for short intervals. Eventually he would be able to wear it for longer periods.

Suddenly he heard three swift knocks on the door.

"Adam, I need to get in there!" Drew called out from the other side. "I want to put some more product in my hair—"

The door swung open.

Drew blinked. "Before my date with Bianca," he finished at regular volume. He was surprised his brother actually opened the door in a timely fashion. Adam was usually a bathroom hog. Drew grinned and marched over to the mirror. "Thanks bro."

Adam chuckled. "I was on my way out anyway."

Drew looked at him. "Hey, is that a new shirt?"

Adam snorted. Despite their divergent styles of dress, Drew regularly borrowed clothing from Adam and vice versa. "Yeah, but it might be a little tight for you," he said in jest.

Drew shook his head. "We'll see about that! Girls dig fitted muscle shirts," he countered.

"It's a gift from Fiona," Adam told him. Drew instantly frowned, which made Adam smirk. He continued, "She got me a chest binder shirt."

Drew furrowed his brows. "But why is she giving you gifts? You guys broke up."

Adam sighed. "She ordered it for me weeks ago. It's not like she was going to use it and do you know any other FTMs at Degrassi?"

"Right," Drew nodded as he added gel to his hair. "Well, it looks good."

Adam smiled. "Thanks bro."

Drew smiled back. After a minute he asked, "So, how's the hair?"

Adam inspected his brother's newly styled hair. "It looks alright. Bianca will dig it," he added in jest.

Drew laughed. "I hope so!" He turned away from the mirror and looked at his brother. "You know, Bee and I are heading to a party later. You should come. There's no reason why you should stay in on a Friday night."

Adam shook his head. "Thanks, but I have a date with the DVR. There's quite a few shows I've been meaning to catch up on."

Drew shrugged. "Suit yourself. If you change your mind, text me."

Adam grinned. "Would you even answer me? You'll probably be busy," he teased.

Drew initiated a fist bump. "That's what I'm talking about!" he laughed. "Don't worry, I'll answer my phone _after_."

Adam went back to his room. Ten minutes later he heard Drew yell goodbye and rush down the stairs. Adam was relieved. It was just him and his mom in the house. He stood up and took a deep breath. He mentally reviewed the arguments he had prepared. It was time for them to talk.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Adam is finally going to confront Mama Torres. Nice! They've got to do something, because they're clearly running out of time. Chantay has agreed to keep quiet for now, but how long will she?

**Reviews are super cool! :D**

FYI, there's a chance I might update again tonight. Depends on what time I get back. If not, I'll probably do it tomorrow.


	18. Small Steps

"Bury The Castle" – part 17

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: Double update today! Enjoy and thanks for reviews!

**FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

Fiona looked at her brother amused. He was arranging the center piece on the dining room table, _again_. Declan never usually helped set the table so it didn't take a rocket scientist to tell he was nervous.

"Relax," she told him as she walked by. He threw her a questioning a look. "We've had dinner with Holly J hundreds of times," she chided him.

He frowned at her. "I was just trying to clear some space for the food."

Fiona sent him a knowing look. Declan looked away.

"You don't think tonight will be awkward?" he asked softly.

She rolled her eyes. "Declan, you practically begged me to invite her over and now you ask that?"

He quickly shook his head. "I did no such thing! I merely _suggested_ it might be nice."

"Okay," she said unconvinced and made her way over to the counter. They had ordered several dishes from an upscale Italian restaurant. They had plenty of food and were waiting for the guest of honor to arrive.

The doorbell suddenly rang. Fiona and Declan looked at each other.

"That's definitely a formality," she remarked.

Declan grinned. "Is she trying to pretend that she doesn't have a key?" He walked over to the door to let her in.

Holly J took a deep breath. She was here because Fiona had asked her to. She felt a little guilty because she told Sav she was having dinner but she didn't mention Declan would also be there. He wasn't quite over what happened between her and Declan in the fall so she decided to omit that detail. However, Sav had little to fear. She was annoyed with Declan for leaving yesterday and planned to rip him a new one about it when the first opportunity arrived.

The front door to Fiona's condo opened. She had been here countless times but this was the first time she found herself breathless. She was unprepared to suddenly see Declan standing in front her. He stared at her for a long moment, apparently as disarmed as she was.

"Are you guys coming in?" she heard Fiona call from inside the apartment. She picked up on a hint of amusement in her friend's voice.

Declan and Holly J broke eye contact and nervously chuckled.

"So, can I come in?" Holly J said in jest.

Declan blinked before stepping aside. "Of course. Welcome."

-oOo-

Audra Torres sat with her arms folded as her son laid out his case. He wanted her to change her mind and give him the okay to date that harlot. She was unconvinced. Adam didn't need that girl dragging him down with her problems.

"And tomorrow I'm turning 16. _Please_," Adam finished. He looked at her expectantly.

Audra sighed heavily. "She's still older than you."

Adam gave her a look. "Mom…"

"I don't get what you see in this girl. There are plenty of other nice, respectable girls for you to date," she argued.

"You're right," he responded.

She looked at him surprised. He was actually conceding the point?

"There are other girls I could be with," he repeated. "But, I don't want to be with those girls. There's only one Fiona Coyne. She's far from perfect, but so am I. She accepts my flaws and cares for me as I am. I always thought I'd have wait years and years before I'd find someone to love. I didn't think was a possibility until after I changed and had surgeries. For so many years I've lived my life on hold. But with Fiona, I am finally living. Please, don't take that away from me."

His voice sounded so sincere and heartbreakingly honest. Audra could feel his joy and his pain.

Adam continued, "She colors my world and makes me stronger. I think I make her stronger too. We've both faced difficulties but when we're together we have so much optimism for the future. I used to focus on just surviving the day to day stuff, but now I know there's more to life than that—"

"Adam," she interrupted.

He looked up. When he first sat down with his mom he had been hopeful but now he wasn't so sure. He was praying this wasn't just a waste of time, but her poker face was hard to decipher. He breathed in deeply as he waited for her to speak her mind.

-oOo-

Fiona was having a blast. Despite some awkwardness in the beginning, hanging out with Declan and Holly J was just like old times. They finished up the first course and were getting ready for the second. There was pasta and risotto for them to enjoy. Fiona stood up.

"Do you need a hand?" Holly J asked her as she departed for the kitchen.

Fiona shook her head. "No, I got it," she smiled. She wanted Declan and Holly J to spend some time together. With any luck, it would bring them both closure. Then again, it might make them realize they were perfect for each other. She had nothing against Sav, but she was fine with that outcome too.

She unpacked the container with the second course dishes.

"Seems like too much work for one person."

She looked up. "Holly J," she said, slightly disappointed her plan didn't work. "Thanks."

Holly J grabbed some serving utensils from the counter draws. "Why does this smell like a setup?"

Fiona chuckled. "That's an interesting sense of smell you have there," she teased.

Holly J gave her a look.

"What?" Fiona said innocently. "It's just dinner."

Suddenly her cell phone rang.

"Excuse me," she said and quickly darted down the hall. She smiled when she realized it was Adam calling. Fiona excitedly opened the phone. "You have excellent timing! Holly J was just grilling me about dinner and Declan," she laughed.

"I try," he said from the other line, amused.

"So, did you talk to your mom yet?" Fiona asked. She was anxious to know, but at the same time was scared of what he might say. Maintaining a secret relationship was harder than she realized it would be. She didn't want them to be in limbo forever.

"About that… Can you come downstairs?"

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Hmm, Fi's scheming a little there… And apparently Adam has something he wants to say…

**Reviews are awesome :D**


	19. Coyne Women

"Bury The Castle" – part 18

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews guys! :D

**FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

After Fiona's abrupt exit, Holly J and Declan looked at each other for a long moment. They both began speaking at the same time and paused awkwardly.

"Sorry–"

"No, it's fine. Ladies first," Declan insisted.

Holly J turned to him. "You need to do better," she said sternly.

Declan blinked. "I'm trying. I'm doing my best to show you that I have changed—"

"No!" she interrupted. "I'm not talking about us."

He looked at her confused. "Then what are you talking about?"

Despite herself she cracked a small grin. He could be so clueless sometimes. "Fiona. You need to be there for her more. She was really hurt when you up and left last night."

Declan sighed. "I had things to take care of."

"Bullshit," Holly J retorted. He looked at her stunned. "She's your _sister_. What can be more important than her?"

Declan took a deep breath to control his anger. He didn't need a lecture about Fiona, and especially from her. Fiona was his twin. They had a closer bond than anyone else. All of the troubles she had gone through this school year pained him immensely. "I had to sort out a problem with the show I'm running—"

Holly J shook her head angrily. "That's an excuse."

Declan frowned. "Can I finish?" he said sharply. After a brief pause, Holly J curtly nodded. "Anyway, I _had_ to sort out an issue with a prop we loaned from a private donor. However, being the city I took the opportunity to have lunch with our mom."

Holly J bit her lip. She wanted to say a sarcastic comment so bad, but she held it in. Declan seemed to recognize this, but wisely did not comment.

"We discussed Fiona and her relationship with Adam."

"You did?" Holly J said surprised.

He nodded. "Yes. I met him yesterday so she wanted to know my impression of him."

_Declan had a small smile as he reached the table. His mother was sitting there, impeccably dressed and always ten minutes early. She was engrossed in her blackberry, which gave him a few extra seconds to compose his thoughts. This wasn't going to be an easy conversation, but it was one they needed to have._

_She suddenly looked up and smiled. "Declan," she said warmly as she stood up._

_He gave her a hug and kissed her cheek. "Mom, it's good to see you."_

_They both sat down at the table._

"_I ordered baked brie for an appetizer," she told him._

_He grinned. "Excellent choice."_

"_Has everything been sorted out with the Hearst family artifact?" she asked him. She had made a few calls to assess the situation with the prop and had been able to secure more time for her son to smooth things over._

_Declan readily nodded. "Yes. We found it in one of the storage rooms. A stagehand moved it with the other set pieces a few days ago and we lost track of it."_

"_Good," she stated. She added sternly, "That can never happen again."_

"_I know. We got lucky and we're going to move forward this incident with more caution," he assured her._

_The waiter showed up and took their orders. Once their appetizer arrived he decided to get down to business._

"_Fiona's doing well," he remarked as he reached for a piece of pastry. He quickly dipped it in raspberry sauce._

"_Oh?" his mother responded. She pinned a sliced apple with her fork._

_Declan chuckled. "Yeah. We had breakfast yesterday. She's doing well at school and keeping busy."_

_Mrs. Coyne smiled. "I'm glad to hear that, honey."_

_He waited before addressing the five hundred pound gorilla in the room. "She told me a bit about Adam. I actually met him when we went for coffee after school."_

_She looked at him. "And what was your impression?"_

_Declan cracked a small grin. "He looks rather harmless."_

_His mother scoffed. "I never said otherwise."_

"_I know… but he seems like a nice guy. I can tell he cares about her," Declan said delicately._

_Mrs. Coyne shook her head. "He isn't the right person for her."_

_Declan sighed. "How can you be so sure?"_

"_Fiona isn't– " she stopped herself. "She's not like him. She's just confused."_

_Declan laughed. "Well, yeah. Last time I checked Fiona didn't want to be a guy. She enjoys dresses too much."_

_His mother gave him a look. "Stop being facetious. This thing with Bobby has her all mixed up. Right now she needs to focus on school and her recovery. Adam is one more complication that she doesn't need."_

_Declan was silent for a long moment. "He makes her happy, mom. Doesn't that matter? Fiona hasn't been happy in a long time. Her issues started long before Bobby." He paused. " And as for who she should be with, I think that's up to her to decide. You have this image of how you want her to be and it's hurting you both. Can't you see that?"_

Holly J stared at Declan in wonder. "You really said that to her?"

He slowly smiled. "Yes."

"I don't know what to say," she admitted. Clearly she had misjudged his last minute trip to New York. "I'm surprised her head didn't explode."

Declan shrugged. "Well to be honest, so was I," he laughed. "She's not on board yet but she agreed to give it more thought. She's really struggling with the fact that Fiona's orientation isn't what she assumed it to be."

Holly J looked away. "Well, it was a shock," she admitted.

Declan gave her a knowing look. "After New York I never thought that she would ever like you so much."

Holly J frowned at him. She still found the topic a little uncomfortable, not to mention it was awkward talking to her Ex about his twin sister's crush on her. "Yeah, can we skip over that?"

Declan laughed heartily.

Holly J rolled her eyes. "And here I was thinking you matured," she deadpanned.

"Okay, okay," he relented. "So, what's you take on this thing with Adam? Is she just experimenting? Or is it more serious?"

Holly J sighed. "He's really into her. He'd do whatever she asks and seems completely invested. I just don't know about Fiona. It's hard to tell these days."

Declan nodded in agreement. "I know… but yesterday when we ran into him at the Dot, her eyes lit up. I could tell right away that she likes him. And when she mentions him, she gets this small yet radiant smile on her face. I don't think she realizes it, but it's there."

Holly J looked at him. "She told me this morning that she loves him."

Declan raised his eyebrows in surprise. "She did?"

"Yeah," Holly J confirmed. "It just seems so sudden."

"I've never seen Fiona in love before, but I've never seen her so happy just talking about someone," Declan revealed. "Even you," he quipped.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: I guess Declan's trip to New York served a greater purpose after all... Fadam's in the next chapter.

**Review! You know you want to :D**


	20. These Words

"Bury The Castle" – part 19

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! All the responses this weekend were great to read! :D

**FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

Fiona smiled broadly as she exited the building. Adam was standing right outside. He was wearing casual clothes, which was a nice change. She liked seeing him outside of uniform, with his own personal style. He wore a green plaid shirt and dark denim jeans with a black jacket.

"Prince Adam, to what do I owe the pleasure?" she greeted him.

He looked up and instantly grinned. He quickly closed the distance between them and kissed her. When they pulled away he had a look of pure joy on his face. "My mom is okay with us dating!"

Fiona smiled excitedly. "What?"

He vigorously nodded. "I spoke from my heart. Said everything I had to say. She wasn't going to budge at first, but then she did! She's not happy about it and there are rules she wants us to follow but she said she wouldn't stand in our way!"

"Adam, this is amazing!" She kissed him again.

Adam laughed. "I know! So, will you be my date to my not so surprise birthday party?" He looked lovingly into her eyes.

Fiona stiffened. "My mom… She still doesn't approve," she reminded him.

Adam's face fell. "I know, but she's not here." What Mrs. Coyne didn't know couldn't hurt her.

Fiona looked away. "I don't want to risk her finding out. We shouldn't go public yet."

Adam looked at his feet dejectedly. A few moments ago he was elated. Now he found himself kicking himself for being so optimistic. Once again, reality crashed down harshly.

Fiona reached out and cupped his chin. She didn't like seeing him so disappointed. "Maybe I can make an appearance," she told him.

He brightened a little. "Really?"

She smiled at him. "Yeah. I know it won't be the way we want it to be, but it's something right?"

He looked into her eyes. "I just want you there with me."

She kissed his cheek. "Your wish is my command."

-oOo-

Declan and Holly J added the second course of food to their plates. They tried their hardest to wait for Fiona but hunger had gotten the best of them. They placed the pasta with mussels and creamy risotto on the dining room table, and set out an empty plate for her.

"She's going to kill us," Declan laughed.

"If she asks, I'm going to blame it on you!" Holly J playfully threatened.

The two shared a conspiring grin.

"I'm back!" Fiona called out as she walked down the corridor. Adam was slightly nervous as he held her hand. He was aware that Declan and Holly J knew about their relationship but he wasn't sure if they'd be okay with him staying for dinner.

"I was starting to think you got sucked into an abyss," Declan joked. When he looked up he was surprised to see Fiona standing with Adam.

Holly J cleared her throat. "Um, is he supposed to be here?" she said quietly.

Fiona and Adam shared a brief look.

"I don't see why not," Declan responded diplomatically. Fiona gave him a small smile. He added, "I haven't seen any jailors today. Have you?"

They all laughed.

"Okay, we have plenty of food to go around," Holly J quickly recovered. Perhaps it would be interesting to observe the couple up close.

"Thanks," Adam said.

Fiona turned to him. "Let's get you a plate."

-oOo-

Declan grinned at the younger boy. As shallow as it was, at first he didn't get the attraction between Adam and his sister. They seemed rather mismatched. Adam was turning 16 tomorrow, but to Declan he looked closer to 14. However, as he talked to boy he realized Adam was funny, confident, smart, and easy going. The affection he held for Fiona was apparent and Declan was happy that his sister found someone who truly cared about her.

"So, tomorrow's your sweet sixteen, right?" he smirked.

Fiona shot her brother a warning look. He grinned and took a sip of sparkling cider.

"If by that you mean my 16th birthday, then yeah," Adam retorted.

Holly J smiled and taunted Declan with a raised eyebrow.

"Adam's family and friends are throwing him a party at _Above The Dot_," Fiona told him. She glanced at Adam and the two exchanged a warm smile.

"That's pretty chill," Declan remarked. He turned to his sister. "Are you even allowed to go to that?"

She narrowed her eyes and Holly J let out a laugh.

"What?" Declan asked confused. "Don't they all hate you?"

Adam quickly shook his head. "They don't hate her. They're just… overprotective," he explained.

"So that's what the kids are calling it these days," Holly J joked. Declan grinned.

Adam chuckled, which caught them all by surprise. "Yeah, the whole situation is pretty ridiculous," he acknowledged. "But things are looking up."

"Oh?" Declan questioned.

Adam and Fiona looked at each other with bright smiles. "I spoke to my mom tonight. She changed her mind about me and Fi dating. She's still not thrilled, but she won't stand in our way anymore," he informed them.

Holly J looked at Fiona. "Really?" she said skeptically. Adam's mom was so against the relationship that she threatened to have Fiona brought up on statutory rape charges. She found it hard believe the woman would have a sudden change of heart. "I mean, she was pretty adamant. What changed?"

Fiona was annoyed with her question but before she could respond Adam answered.

"Well, we had a long talk. First I mentioned I'm turning 16 and I'm old enough to make my own decisions, which of course she was not a fan of," he chuckled, as did Fiona and Declan.

Despite herself, Holly J cracked a small grin.

Adam continued, "But really, I just told her I feel about Fiona and why we're good together. We both have difficult pasts but none of that matters because we accept each other as we are. She brightens my world. I was just existing before she came into my life, but now I feel like I'm really living." He stopped and shrugged. "Take your pick, I guess. Not sure when I changed my mom's mind, but eventually she saw that I really do love her."

Holly J raised her eyebrows at his words and looked at him with a knowing smile. Adam looked at her curiously for a few seconds before it dawned on him why.

Fiona stared at him. His words played over again in her head, "_I really do love her_." Adam loves her! She had overheard him telling Eli that a few weeks ago, but he had yet to say it to her. Technically he still hadn't said it to her, but given that she was sitting right next to him when he said it, in her mind it counted. He slowly turned towards her and her heart beat wildly in her chest.

Declan watched the two with interest. It was pretty obvious to him that the words Adam spoke had just slipped out. He also could tell from their body language Adam and Fiona had yet to say it to each other. At least not say it and really mean it. He wondered what would come of this new development. As the couple looked at each other it was clear that anyone else at the table became an afterthought.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Looks like Adam and Fiona are that much closer to telling each other how they really feel! However, before you go forward sometimes it's best to look back. Next chapter will do just that.

**Reviews = Awesome! :D**


	21. Past Revisited

"Bury The Castle" – part 20

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: This chapter fills out the back story between Adam and Fiona's romance, which was briefly detailed in "Lion's Den" chapters 2 & 3. It's heavy, monologue prose – yes, it's all in their head, lol.

**FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

Adam was nervous. _Really_ nervous. The first time he told her that he loved her, she had said it first. He hadn't known her that well but he swore he was in love. That feeling deepened while he waited for her to return from rehab and with the time they spent together afterward. The note Holly J had given him let him know that he wasn't alone in how he felt. However, it was all based on a lie. She didn't really love him. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to date guys. When she said those words she was scared of being alone. To say he was crushed would be an understatement. He had been _devastated_. If it wasn't for his brother and best friends he wasn't sure how he would have pulled through.

However, several days later when he was through with the worst of his grieving, he reached out to Fiona and offered his friendship. The love he felt for her made it impossible for him to abandon her. He cared too much about her and even if they couldn't be a couple he wanted to be there for her. He knew she had few people that she could count on. Ironically, once they were no longer dating he felt like he truly got to know her as a person. He wasn't viewing her through the lens of idealized crush. Despite the disappointment of their brief romance, he found it easy to be her friend. He liked being around her. They had fun in the most mundane activities, such as channel surfing or walking around downtown Toronto.

When things shifted between them again, he was initially angry. He had just gotten used to their friendship and she wanted to complicate it by admitting she had romantic feelings for him. When they kissed he couldn't deny that there was something between them. The unlikely path they travelled led them to a much stronger place then they had been at the outset of their relationship.

Right now in this moment, the love he felt for her burned brighter than ever, but he wished he hadn't clued her in. He didn't want to face the possibility of being lied to again. He wanted to trust that he and Fiona had come much further than that, but he couldn't escape the fear that 'love' would tear them apart again.

Fiona was nervous too, but for a different reason. Lying to Adam about loving him was one of her biggest regrets. She would do anything to take it back because she knew how deeply it hurt him. When she said it, she was desperate. Everything was slipping away from her and he was the only one in her corner. She liked the way he looked at her. In his eyes she was a beautiful and kind princess who was worthy of only the best. Not broken, defective, and flawed like she viewed herself and how she thought her loved ones viewed her. She met him at a low point in her life, and as Holly J accused her of this morning, at the time she had used him to prop herself up.

When she returned from rehab she was wracked with guilt. Adam was a sweet, goodhearted person who welcomed her back with open arms. He was also hopelessly in love with her and thought she felt the same way about him. At first she went along with it, hoping that eventually she would. But the lies caught up with her and she finally acknowledged she was in over her head. She wasn't sure what she wanted and it wasn't fair to pretend otherwise. He took it hard, which came as no surprise. She thought Adam would never speak her again and felt she wholly deserved his disdain. She never expected him to extend an olive branch. She was hesitant at first, but once she realized he was serious about being friends she readily accepted his offer.

As she got to know him better, her appreciation of him grew in spades. She became fully aware that he was an amazing person with a big heart and was happy to have him in her life. He supported her when she decided to test the waters with dating girls. She went on two dates. The first was a blind date that Holly J set up for her with an attractive co-worker. It had gone well. The two had fun walking along the boardwalk and they even shared a kiss at the end, but there was no spark between them. The next day she gave a post-date run down to her friends. She noted that Adam had sounded more encouraging than Holly J. She wasn't sure why that bothered her, but it did.

Despite her conflicting feelings she quickly lined up another date. The second girl was a fellow Degrassi senior and was even prettier than the first. However, they didn't have as much in common as Fiona thought they would, given their shared love of fashion. Her friends urged her to stay positive about dating, but she realized her heart wasn't in it. It already belonged to someone else.

After her crush on Holly J, Fiona realized she was open to dating other girls. She had only recently come to terms with it when suddenly she found herself falling for a guy. She liked Adam for who he was as a person. Her attraction and desire to pursue a relationship with him seemed to grow from that. Given their complicated past, she wasn't sure what to do. She mulled it over for a few days before finally asking her best friend for advice.

Holly J insisted that telling Adam about her feelings for him was an unequivocally _bad_ idea. Fiona initially agreed, but with every passing day it got harder to be around him and keep it all in. When she finally broke, Adam reacted exactly like Holly J predicted. He had angrily walked away from her, leaving her convinced that she had truly lost him this time. He went out of his way to avoid her for next three days. When she finally got him alone she was determined to make him listen. One kiss changed everything. The attraction between them was evident and she knew that her feelings weren't one sided. Adam told her he wanted to be with her too and they agreed to take things slow. Fiona promised herself she would never hurt him again, which brought her back to this moment.

As they sat here at the table, time seemed to move in slow motion. She looked into his eyes and could feel his uncertainty. She opened her mouth to speak, but then he did something she didn't expect.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: As a wise old guy once wrote, "The course of true love never did run smooth." Especially in this case (no wonder their friends and fam are a bit confused…)

Next chapter picks up at the dinner!

On a side note, I went through quite a few drafts of this. I kept revising Fiona's POV but each time the monologues worked out to more than 1000 words, so I figured it was best to separate this section as its own chapter.

**Reviews are cool! :D**


	22. Complicated

"Bury The Castle" – part 21

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: Wow, we've reached part 21! Thanks for all the support! Now we'll finally find out what Adam does ;-)

**FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

"We need to talk," Adam said urgently. He stood up and offered his hand.

Declan raised an eyebrow. That wasn't what he was expecting. He and Holly J exchanged a look.

Fiona blinked. "Sure," she said with faux cheeriness, doing her best to mask her feelings. She stood up. "We'll be right back," she told Declan and Holly J. She took Adam's hand and they left the table.

As they walked down the hallway Adam was stoically quiet. Fiona wasn't sure what to say, so they continued in silence. When they got to her room, he walked in but she lingered by the door.

He turned around and looked at her. "Hey, is everything alright?" he asked softly.

She smiled and chided herself for being worried. "Yeah. I was just a little nervous because you were quiet." He didn't return her smile and she felt anxious all over again.

Adam had a pensive expression on his face. He looked off to the side. "You know, when we started dating again I knew there was something between us and wanted us to see where it goes. I thought if we kept things light, everything would be fine."

He paused. Fiona furrowed her brows at his usage of past tense.

"But from the very outset we had resistance from our friends. From Drew. I got so annoyed with them for interfering. It's my life, my choices. Our choices," he amended. He looked up. "They just didn't want me to get hurt. I didn't want that either, of course."

"Adam, what are you trying to say?" Fiona asked. He was worrying her.

"I don't want to hold you back, Fiona," he admitted.

She looked at him, thoroughly confused. "What?"

He met her eyes. "You're still figuring things out and I don't want to put pressure on you. Just because I feel a certain way doesn't mean you have to." He sighed and looked away again. "I care about you and I know you care about me, but this is becoming too serious and I don't see it ending well… for both of us."

Fiona walked over to him blinking back tears. "But you said you love me?" she said in a wobbly voice.

He nodded but refused to meet her eyes. "I know, but I shouldn't have," he responded sadly.

Fiona brought a hand to his cheek. "Adam, I love you."

His eyes snapped to hers, stunned. He briefly closed them as he fought for composure. "You need time to figure out what you want. I'm only complicating matters."

She struggled to ignore the pain that ripped through her heart at his words. She told him she loved him and he was dismissing her. "I do know what I want. _You_," she insisted.

Adam stepped away from her. "I should go," he said quickly.

She blinked. This wasn't happening. He wanted to break up because they loved one another? She grabbed his arm. "Wait!"

He looked at her apprehensively and paused. She gathered her courage.

"I know you're scared about getting hurt again, but I mean it this time. I love you. And yes, that scares me a little because I've never been in love before. I wanted to tell you sooner, but I was afraid. Afraid that you wouldn't believe me or that it would open old scars." She moved closer to him. "I'm not anymore because I know how I feel, through and through. And I _know_ you can see that. I'm not running away from this. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. So while I may not have figured out a label yet, I don't care about your gender. I love you for who you are. You're the person I want to be with and no amount of time is going to change that."

Fiona looked deeply into his eyes. "I'm in love with _you_."

As Adam stared back at her, he had tears in his eyes. He looked at her for a few moments, before taking a deep breath. Fiona calmly watched him and waited for his response.

He cleared his throat. "Pansexual."

She furrowed her brows. "Huh?"

He slowly smiled. "I've been meaning to tell you that you should Google pansexual. I think it's what you might be."

"Um, okay," she said slowly as it dawned on her that he was smiling again. "I'll have to check it out," she grinned broadly.

His smile widened. "Good."

They both leaned in and shared a gentle, yet emotional kiss. As they pulled away, Adam caressed her cheek. "I'm in love with you, too."

Fiona closed her eyes and savored his words.

-oOo-

When they returned to the dining room they were smiling and holding hands. They were so busy staring at each other that they almost reached the table before noticing that Declan and Holly J were making out.

Adam and Fiona shared an amused look. He raised an eyebrow and she struggled to hold in her laughter. A moment later she loudly cleared her throat.

Declan and Holly J snapped apart startled. Both their faces were red and they wore sheepish expressions.

"So I take it you really liked the risotto?" Fiona teased.

Dinner wrapped up quickly after that. Holly J and Adam lived in the same neighborhood so they shared a cab. The moment they left, Fiona turned to her brother with a huge smirk.

"That was interesting," she commented. "So is Sav out of the picture?"

Declan sighed. "We… Uh, I don't… Yale. There's always Yale."

Fiona laughed. "Very smooth," she joked.

He frowned at her. "It's complicated."

She nodded as she continued to laugh.

"What about you? You disappeared with Adam for almost a half hour," he noted.

"Twenty minutes," she corrected him.

"And?" he smirked.

She smiled broadly. "He told me he's in love with me." As she said the words she felt so light she could float up to the moon. They were in love. This time it was the real deal.

Declan snorted. "We all heard that at the table."

"Well, we had a serious talk… and almost broke up," she admitted. He threw her a quizzical look. "It's complicated," she quipped.

He genuinely smiled. "Love usually is," he responded, speaking from experience.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N:Awww! Ain't love grand? :D

**Review! You know you want to ;-)**


	23. Two Brothers

"Bury The Castle" – part 22

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: Thanks for all the amazing reviews guys!

Wowzers, this story is getting pretty long! Lol. Torres and Coyne sibling interaction is up ahead in this chapter!

**FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

When Adam woke up the next day he was extremely happy. His mind was fixated on last night and even when he was dreaming he had been thinking about Fiona. She loved him! It felt surreal that the woman he had loved for so long returned his feelings. They weren't casual. They weren't cautiously taking it one day at a time. They were in love!

He jumped up from the covers and practically floated down the hall. He wanted to get dressed and ready for the day. It was his birthday and he had plans to meet up with Fiona for lunch. He couldn't wait.

Thirty minutes later, he ran down the stairs. He wasn't meeting her for a few more hours so he decided to get a snack.

"Morning!" he said brightly as he entered the kitchen.

Drew was at the counter pouring cereal into an empty bowl. Their mother was sitting at the kitchen table reading the Saturday newspaper.

Adam walked to the pantry and grabbed a box of Pop Tarts. He quickly placed one in the toaster and then went to the fridge. He whistled as he poured himself a glass of orange juice.

"Someone's in a good mood," Drew noted. Adam grinned broadly. "Happy Birthday little bro! You excited about tonight?"

Adam nodded and sat down at the table. "Yep. Today is a really good day."

His mother looked up from her paper. "So, did you speak to her? What did she say?"

Adam glanced at Drew. His brother was listening in with interest. Adam held back a groan.

"I did. She was happy," he told her. "Thanks again, mom."

Mrs. Torres shrugged but he could see she had a small smile. He knew she still didn't care much for his girlfriend, but her change of heart had more to do with seeing him happy.

Drew frowned. "What's going on?"

Adam and his mother shared a look.

"I've given Adam permission to date," Mrs. Torres told her older son.

"What?" Drew said taken aback. "Don't tell me you're back with Fiona again?" He thought they were making progress. Another week and Adam would finally be over her.

Adam scoffed. "Okay, I won't tell you then."

"Mom, how can you allow this?" Drew questioned. She had been the driving force in their break up.

Mrs. Torres sent him a pointed look. "What am I going to do, lock him up? He's 16 now. My feelings about this relationship haven't changed. I still think he should date someone that's a better fit for him, but it's his choice."

Drew shook his head. Their mother was unbelievable. Two weeks ago she was ranting and raving about Adam and Fiona dating. Now she had adopted a laissez faire attitude about it! "Adam–"

"Andrew, can you leave it alone?" Adam interrupted. His brother had meddled enough. It was time for him to give it a rest.

"I just don't understand. I thought we closed the book on this," Drew stated disappointed. Sure Adam said he needed more time, but two weeks had gone by! He even went on a date with another girl! He didn't get the hold Fiona Coyne had on his little brother. Beauty only went so far. There were other girls who were just as pretty and had far less baggage.

"Maybe you did, but I haven't!" Adam asserted. "The past two weeks have been incredibly hard. I still love her—"

"Why do you love someone who doesn't love you?" Drew said impatiently. Fiona was a liar and a user. She hurt his brother deeply yet he kept coming back for more. It made no sense at all.

Adam clinched his jaw. "She does love me! She told me last night."

Drew snorted. "And what makes you think she's telling the truth _this time_?" he fired back.

"Drew!" their mother said in a warning tone. The back and forth between her two sons was getting ugly.

Adam looked at him darkly. "Because I _know_, Andrew! This time is different. It's real between us. You don't have to like it, but keep your opinions to yourself! I'm going to be with her no matter what." He stood up from the table and walked away.

-oOo-

Declan smirked as he glanced at his sister. They were sitting at the kitchen table, enjoying breakfast. They had ordered _huevos rancheros_ from a nearby Mexican restaurant. The two of them shared a companionable silence, and he couldn't help but notice how happy and upbeat she looked. It was a nice change.

"This might qualify as the honeymoon stage," Declan remarked, no longer able to hold out commenting on the matter.

Fiona looked at him and laughed. "You might be right."

"So she admits it!" he said in a teasing matter.

Fiona happily sighed. "I love him and he loves me."

"Careful. You keep that up and I might just gag. It would be a tragedy to waste this fine cuisine," he laughed.

Fiona stuck out her tongue.

"Oh, real mature!" he teased.

Fiona giggled. She had a good feeling about today. In a few hours she was meeting Adam for lunch. It was his birthday today so she was looking forward to celebrating it one on one before his party tonight. She was a little nervous about that portion of the evening because Drew, Clare, and Eli would be also be there, but the thought of slow dancing with Adam made it worth it.

"Where did you go?" Declan said lightly, interrupting her reverie.

She shrugged and smiled. "Just thinking about today."

He looked at her with a knowing grin. "So now that you're stuck on Adam, am I in the clear to pursue Holly J?"

Fiona laughed. He wasn't very subtle. "I'd much rather have her as a sister-in-law than a lover, if that's what you're asking."

Declan chuckled. "Nice one, sis!" He had to give credit where credit was due. He thought it was an excellent quip. "So, does this mean you're done with girls?" He was trying to understand his sister. He needed to if he was ever going to get through to their mom.

Fiona thought about it. "I think I like people for who they are. Gender doesn't factor into it," she stated.

Declan raised an eyebrow. "Come again?" he said confused.

She smiled at his expression. She had been confused herself for a long time. She always felt different because while she could acknowledge a guy or girl was attractive, she didn't develop crushes based on how someone looked. Nor was her attraction limited to a specific group based on what parts they had.

When she looked it up online last night, the term pansexual instantly clicked with her. It made a lot of sense, especially when she read how other pansexuals described their relationships and crushes. She realized her crush on Holly J wasn't based on her being an attractive a girl. Fiona liked her as a person and as her feelings grew she noticed her in ways she hadn't when she viewed her as just a platonic friend. It was similar with Adam, though the passionate alcohol fueled kisses they shared early on made things more confusing. Her feelings for him had deepened over time, but from the very beginning she found him easy to trust and talk to. Looking back, she realized she never really stood a chance. Once she got to know him, how could she not fall for Adam?

"The short answer is no because it's not either-or for me. When it comes to love, what matters to me is who they are, not what their gender is," Fiona explained.

"Oh," Declan nodded. He still didn't fully understand. If that was the case, then where did attraction fit in?

Fiona looked at him. He was easy to read. "Google pansexual," she sighed exasperated and took another bite of her food.

He laughed. "Okay, will do!" He then reached for his orange juice.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: So, one brother is supportive and trying to understand his sibling. And the other is anything but! Oy!

**Reviews rock! :D**


	24. My Friends

"Bury The Castle" – part 23

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: **FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

Adam tapped his fingers on the table. He was at the Dot and feeling optimistic. In thirty minutes Fiona was due to walk through the door and they would go elsewhere for their lunch date. He wanted them to dine somewhere nicer. However, there was a reason he asked her to meet him here. Eli and Clare were sitting across from him.

This morning Drew blew up when he learned Fiona and him were back together. He was hoping his brother would try to play nice during the party, but knowing Drew he wasn't sure that he would. Adam didn't want to same thing to happen with his best friends. He wanted Eli and Clare to smooth things over with Fiona. They had been pretty cold to her before the "break up" and he wanted to put the end to it.

"So, you're back together?" Eli said slowly. He did his best to keep the disappointment out of his voice. He glanced at Clare and saw that she felt the same way he did.

"Yeah," Adam nodded. He took a sip of his coffee.

There was a short silence.

"So, when did this happen?" Clare asked diplomatically. She was trying to be upbeat but she was concerned.

"Recently," he answered vaguely. His mother's support was tenuous at best. He didn't want to risk it getting back to her that he had been dating Fiona behind her back all along.

Eli blinked. He found Adam easy to read and held back a smirk. '_Guess that answers where he went Thursday night_,' he thought to himself. He wasn't sure how they got Declan to look the other way about it.

"So, you're mom really is fine with this?" Clare questioned. She hadn't seen that coming.

Adam nodded. "I'm shocked too. I was starting to doubt she had the capacity to show compassion," he quipped.

They all laughed.

"Yeah, you seriously worked a miracle there, grasshopper," Eli commended him.

Adam grinned. "Thanks." He took a deep breath. "It would mean a lot to me if you guys would give Fiona a chance."

Eli groaned audibly while Clare shifted in her seat.

"Guys," he pleaded. He looked at Clare. After a moment she nodded.

"I'll try," she shrugged.

Adam smiled broadly. "Great! Thank you! She's going to be here in a half hour or so. We're having lunch, but I'd like it if we could hang out for a bit first."

Eli shook his head. Clare threw him a pointed look. "Sorry, man. It's just… I don't trust her. I mean, how do you know she isn't going to drop you for Holly J or something?"

"Eli!" Clare scolded him. She hit his arm.

Adam remained surprisingly calm. "So, only straight people are capable of monogamy?" he questioned as he looked at his friend.

Eli lowered his head. "That's not what I meant," he protested.

"We're a couple. She loves me and I love her. She was going through a rough time before, but she never cheated on me. Things are much better now, so what does her sexuality matter?" Adam pressed.

Eli snorted. "It _does_ matter! If it turns out she doesn't like guys then you're up shit's creek!" he blurted out. He hated that his transgendered friend had fallen for a girl who was questioning her sexuality. It just seemed like Adam was going to get hurt. What if he was just a stepping stone until she figured out what she really wanted?

"Eli, shut up!" Clare yelled at her boyfriend. He was putting his foot in his mouth, yet again. She didn't want to alienate Adam.

Adam sighed heavily. He was tired of this. Why did everyone seem eager to attack his relationship with Fiona? "Look, we're together, alright? She loves me for who I am and I couldn't be happier. That's all you need to know!"

Clare smiled at him. She was praying that things would go better for him this time around. Adam deserved happiness and it was clear Fiona meant a lot to him. "Well, that settles that," she said casually.

Eli looked at her with a small smirk. "Fair enough," he grumbled and turned back to Adam.

-oOo-

Fiona smiled as she reached for her purse. "How do I look?" she asked Declan.

Her brother glanced at her. "Are you sure you want to wear that?"

She frowned and looked down at her outfit. She was wearing a white camisole shirt and a floral print skirt. It was paired with a denim jacket. She thought she looked nice.

Declan smirked. "I was joking. You look great!" She narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh, come on! You looked a little tense. There's no reason for you to be."

Fiona nodded. "I suppose you're right."

Declan laughed. "Of course I'm right! Enjoy your date," he added sincerely.

She smiled broadly. "Thanks Declan." She gave him a hug.

"Anytime, sis," he told her.

Suddenly they heard the front door close. The two twins shared a confused look.

"Hmm, so that's why you wanted me out of here? Spending time with Holly J?" she teased.

Declan shook his head. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could someone beat him to it.

-oOo-

"You sure you don't want something more substantial?" Clare asked him. She felt guilty as she ate another fry.

Adam shook his head. "No. Fi and I are going somewhere else for lunch. She's supposed to be here in a few minutes."

Eli smirked but wisely held back from commenting. In the entire time they known her, he had rarely seen Fiona show up anywhere on time. She missed the party Adam threw for her. She showed up late – and drunk – to Sweethearts' Lunch. She arrived just in time to catch Adam's first show. However, being a rock band they started their set almost a half hour late!

"Well, if you're hungry feel free to take some of my fries," Clare told him. She and Eli had ordered food. He was eating a cheeseburger and she got a grilled cheese sandwich.

"Alright." Adam reached for one and smiled.

"There ya go!" Eli teased.

Adam gave him a look.

"What?" the older boy laughed.

Adam's phone vibrated in his pocket. He reached for it and saw that he had a text message from Fiona.

_** Can't meet up for lunch. My mom is here. – Fiona C. **_

He blinked several times as a feeling of cold dread washed over him.

"Adam, what's wrong?" Eli asked.

He slowly looked up. Clare didn't like the expression on his face.

"She's not coming?" she said sadly. Clare wasn't one to be quick to anger, but in this moment she was livid with Fiona. Why was she constantly toying with her friend? If she didn't want to be with Adam, why give him false hope?

Eli's expression hardened. "What's going on?"

"She can't come," Adam told them.

"I knew it!" Eli growled. He had a bad feeling about her and once again was proven right.

"Her mom is at the condo," Adam explained.

Eli furrowed his brows in confusion.

"What?" Clare said surprised. "Why?"

"I… I don't know," Adam admitted. He rubbed his temples. His head was starting to hurt.

"What do you think it could be?" Eli pressed. Maybe her mom wanted her to return to New York after all?

Adam shrugged and looked off to the side. After a moment he jerked his head up and met Eli's eyes. "What if she knows about Thursday night?" he said alarmed.

Eli grimaced. "Well, how would she know? Unless Declan told?"

Adam shook his head. "He wouldn't say anything. He's pretty supportive of us. Besides, I don't think he knows. It was just me and Fi at the condo."

Clare looked from Adam to Eli and frowned. Clearly she had missed something. "What happened Thursday night?"

Adam froze. Eli gave him a look and shrugged. Adam sighed in response. He guessed there was little point trying to keep it from Clare now. "We, uh…"

Eli snorted and turned to his girlfriend. Sometimes it was better to rip the band-aid off. "They slept together. _Again_."

Adam rolled his eyes annoyed. "Thanks for that."

"What? You were flailing, man!" Eli smirked.

Adam sighed. They were horrible at keeping secrets.

Clare cleared her throat. "So, how would Fiona's mom find out about… you guys?" she asked, bringing them back on topic.

Adam was more than happy to move on. "I don't know. Fiona's housekeeper is usually around, but she wasn't on Thursday. Her mom is pretty unpredictable. Maybe she has surveillance when the maid isn't there?"

Eli laughed heartily. "Conspiracy theory much?"

"I don't know. This is the same woman who hired a live-in nanny for her seventeen year old daughter." Clare pointed out. "Who knows what she's capable of?"

Eli and Adam frowned. It was a sobering thought.

.

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A/N: Oh boy... Everyone keeps jumping to the worst conclusions! Let's hope they're wrong...

**Review! You know you wanna :D**


	25. Surprises

"Bury The Castle" – part 24

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: **FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

"Mom?" Fiona said surprised. Her mother nodded and they watched as she walked further the living room. Fiona held in a groan when she noticed her mom was a pulling a carryon luggage bag.

Declan sent his sister a sympathetic look before turning to Mrs. Coyne. "Well, this is unexpected. We would have met you at the airport if you phoned in advanced," he said in an even tone. When his mother said she needed time to think about things, he never thought she'd hop on a plane the next day. He wasn't sure if this was good or bad.

"Oh, it's fine, dear. I didn't need a welcoming party," Mrs. Coyne quipped. "Do you guys have plans for the day?"

Declan and Fiona shared a look.

"Actually, I was just on my way out," Fiona told her. She was due to meet Adam in a few minutes and the last thing she wanted was to be stuck here with her mom. Seeing this as her one chance to escape she took a step towards the hallway.

"Fiona," her mother called out. She paused. "I know this is sudden, but I need to talk with you and this can't wait."

Fiona bit her lip. She wanted to leave and not look back, but she knew it was a losing battle. She glanced at her brother and he shrugged. "Fine," she said curtly and took a seat on the couch.

"Thank you," her mother told her.

Fiona didn't respond. Declan walked over to his mom. "Would you like something to drink?" he asked.

Their mother smiled. "What do you have?"

Despite herself, Fiona grinned when she realized what her brother was doing. She took advantage of her mother's distraction and reached for her phone. She quickly sent Adam a text, letting him know about the situation. She glanced towards the kitchen. Declan was making small talk while fixing their mom a cup of coffee. Time moved torturously slow as she waited for a response from Adam.

She let out a sigh of relief when she felt her phone vibrate, signaling a new message.

_** Fi, r u okay? – Adam T. **_

She smiled. He didn't care about lunch. He was only concerned about her. She sent him another message.

_** Yes, I'm fine. She wants to talk to me and D. Sorry about lunch. – Fiona C. **_

She closed her cell phone and looked over at the kitchen. Declan seemed just about done with the coffee. She didn't think she had enough time to receive a response from Adam to before they returned, so she pulled out her phone again and sent one last text.

_** No worries, ok? Enjoy ur day. I love u. – Fiona C. **_

With that, she placed her phone back into her bag. When she looked up her mom and Declan were almost at the couches.

"This is really good, Declan. I'm impressed," Mrs. Coyne said jovially as she took a seat across from Fiona.

Declan smirked. "Well, I guess I can always make it as a barista, if need be."

They both chuckled.

Fiona looked at her mother. "Why are you here?" she asked cutting to the chase.

Mrs. Coyne frowned at her directness. "Fiona–"

"No," she interrupted. "You come in unannounced and say that you urgently need to talk. So here we are. You've got a captive audience."

Declan was stunned. Fiona hadn't raised her voice, but he definitely picked up on the frustration in her tone. He sent her a warning look but she kept her eyes trained on their mom.

Mrs. Coyne blinked, taken aback. "I want to fix things."

Fiona furrowed her brows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I want to fix things between us," her mother clarified. Fiona watched as Mrs. Coyne took a sip of her coffee. The older woman then looked up, and their eyes met. "You're my baby girl. We've always had a close bond. Yet somewhere along the way a wall developed between us. I'm doing my best to be there for you and give you the support you need, but clearly it hasn't been enough. I want you to be happy and I'm trying my best to understand who you are today, but the truth is… I don't. I want to change that."

-oOo-

Sav smirked as he watched Drew try to connect the sound system cables. "Careful with that. You can't just jam them in if they don't fit," he teased.

Drew scowled at the unruly machine. "Why do they makes these things so damn complicated?" he said annoyed.

Sav walked over to him. "Why don't you let me take over?" he suggested amused.

Drew looked up. "Sure," he readily agreed. "Dude, you're a lifesaver!"

Sav chuckled. "Well, I do my best. Besides, if this thing gets damaged I'm pretty sure we'd have to wash a lot of dishes downstairs to cover it," he joked.

They were at _Above The Dot_, setting up for Adam's birthday party. Eli and Clare had stepped out to pick up the cake. Bianca, Connor, and Wesley were on balloon duty. Guests were set to arrive in another hour or so.

"So, where is the birthday boy?" Sav asked. The surprise had been lost a few days ago so he half expected Adam to be here helping out.

Drew frowned. "Probably in his room moping."

Sav threw him a quizzical look. "That doesn't sound good," he noted.

Drew sent him a pointed look. "Of course it doesn't."

Sav scratched his head. "Care to fill in the blanks?"

Drew snorted. "Fiona Coyne. It always comes back to her."

Sav raised an eyebrow. "That's rather harsh, don't you think?" He knew that Adam and Fiona had their share of ups and downs, but citing Fiona as the source of all his unhappiness seemed extreme.

"Maybe a little," Drew conceded. "But all he needed was one more week. He was almost over her, but then she pulled him back in. Today is his birthday. He should be happy and excited for his party. Instead he was upset all afternoon, wondering if she was going to show up or not. Honestly, she's not worth the trouble!"

Bianca resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she approached her boyfriend. "We're done with the balloons, Drew."

He glanced around the room and smiled. "Thanks, Bee. It looks great!" He gave her a quick peck on the lips. "Adam is going to love it."

Bianca looked at him amused. "Well, it was a team effort," she reminded him. "Let's focus on the _positive_ side of the day."

He met her eyes and sighed.

"Dude, she has a point," Sav agreed. Drew needed to ease up about Adam's relationship with Fiona. He could rant for days about it, which was becoming irritating.

Drew looked at Sav. "I just want my brother to happy. You understand, right? If someone was making Alli's life miserable wouldn't you want to protect her?"

Bianca snorted. "That's a bit of a stretch, right? Sleeping with him hardly makes his life miserable," she smirked.

Sav laughed and they bumped fists.

Drew shook his head annoyed. "That was a one-time thing and Adam admitted he wasn't ready for it."

Sav clasped his hand on his friend's shoulder. "If you believe that, then there's a bridge I'd like to sell you!" he grinned.

.

tbc

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A/N: So, Mrs. Coyne wants to make amends? It looks like Adam and Clare's worst fears were unfounded! And Drew is still in denial! Luckily his friends aren't shy about giving him a dose of reality, lol.

**Don't be shy! Review :D**

Off-topic: I'm skipping the show promos for now. I have no idea what's going to happen next week and I'd doing my best to keep it that way (even though curiosity is killing me!) *crosses fingers*

Also, I'm trying to wrap this story up before Friday. We'll see!


	26. Party Down

"Bury The Castle" – part 25

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: New chapter! And it's very _long_. There's a flashback in italics! Thanks for the reviews! Keep 'em coming :D It's time to party y'all!

Raidon, I can't PM you so I'll respond here - Thanks for reviewing! I totally agree with all of them, and your response to chapter 11 made me laugh! ;-)

Author's Note #2:** FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

Adam smiled as he adjusted his tie in the mirror. It wasn't all too long ago that he didn't know how. Fiona taught him the correct way to do it. He wasn't much of a suit guy before meeting her, but now he favored the look when he wanted to impress. He was wearing a new tan colored suit for his party tonight.

"You look handsome," he heard from behind him.

Adam turned around to see his mother standing in the doorway. She had a warm smile and her words sounded sincere. It amazed him how much had changed since their talk last night.

"Thanks mom," he told her.

She nodded. "Are you ready to go?" she asked him.

Mrs. Torres was driving him to _Above The Dot_. All of his friends were 'allegedly' there. Adam thought it was slightly silly that they were still trying to keep up the pretense even though he overheard their plans a few days ago.

"Yeah, just a sec," he responded. He tighten the loop a little further and then smoothed down his hair again with his hands. "Okay, let's go."

As they travelled in the car Adam was bursting with nervous energy. He couldn't wait to get to the party! He was looking forward to seeing all his friends and dancing along to great music – Sav was the DJ. Most of all, he was excited to see Fiona. He longed to hold her, kiss her, and gaze into her eyes.

When Fiona texted him to cancel lunch, he had gotten seriously worried. In subsequent messages she assured him that she was okay and her mother had no idea they continued to date all along. He was relieved to hear that, but with her mother in town the chances of her attending his birthday party seemed highly unlikely. Eli and Clare did their best to cheer him up, but when he got home he was still sulking. He went straight up to his room but Drew wasn't having any of it.

"_Nope, let's go downstairs," Drew ordered his little brother. He was standing over Adam's bed with his arms crossed._

"_Andrew," he sighed. He wasn't in the mood for this. "I'd rather read comics, okay?"_

_Drew frowned. "But you weren't reading them!" he pointed out. "You had that vague, zoned out look on your face. What happened now?"_

_Adam gave him a look. "Why do you always assume the worst?" he said annoyed._

"_Because I can read you and I know when something is wrong. Out with it!" Drew demanded._

_Adam sat up. "Fine. Fiona's probably not coming tonight. Are you happy? It's what you wanted all along," he said bitterly._

_Drew was quiet for a moment. "Well, it's probably for the best."_

_Adam snorted. His brother was unbelievable. "For you!" he retorted._

"_For you, too. You just can't see it now," Drew responded calmly._

_Adam glared at him. "Andrew, why do you have to be such a dick? What did she do that was so terrible and deserving of so much venom? It can't be all about me. Are you still mad she turned you down or something?"_

_Drew clinched his jaw. "SHE HURT YOU!" he exploded. "You were a mess. A complete mess, Adam! I don't want to see you go through that again and I don't trust her. Believe it or not, it _is_ about you. It's always been about you!"_

_Adam looked at him stunned._

_Drew continued in a calmer tone, "You're my little brother. I don't give a damn that she turned me down once. If anything, I'm mad at myself for thinking her interest in you would be a good thing."_

"_Bianca hurt me too, yet you're dating her! Don't cast yourself as some benevolent, self-sacrificing figure because you're not!" Adam argued. "If I can forgive Bianca and Fiona for past slights, why can't you? People mess up sometimes. Eventually they grow and learn. Fiona has made mistakes, but she's taken pains to correct them. If you care about me so much, why can't you give her a chance? I love her."_

_Drew scoffed. "That's not fair Adam!"_

"_You've bashed Fiona for the last ten minutes and you think I'm being unfair?" Adam questioned. He looked off to the side and took a deep breath to control his anger. "If you really want me to enjoy my birthday, let's end this conversation right now. I'm serious."_

_Drew studied him for a moment. "Fine." He fidgeted in the ensuing short silence. "It's your birthday. I don't want you to be unhappy," he stated quietly._

"_Then let me read my comics," Adam insisted annoyed._

_Drew slowly walked towards the door. When he reached the threshold, he turned around. "We're brothers. I hate that she's coming between us," he said sadly._

_Adam looked up. "You're the one making it an issue."_

_Drew sighed. "How do we make things better?" He hated this. Things were so strained between them and he was at a loss of how to fix it. Whenever he had an issue with someone he usually came to Adam for advice. This time he was on his own._

_Adam was quiet for a long moment before he finally spoke. "We party and eat cake." He gave his brother a small smile._

"Adam, we're here," his mother told him.

"Cool," he said and unbuckled his seatbelt. He groaned inwardly when he saw her getting out the car too. "You don't have to walk with me upstairs, you know?" It was majorly uncool to arrive at a party with your mom.

Mrs. Torres laughed. "How do we explain how you got here then? You randomly decided to walk in on your own?"

He nodded. "Works for me!"

She grinned as she shook her head and continued up the steps. "I'm sticking to the script. Don't worry, I won't hang around afterwards. I know having your mother there wouldn't be ideal."

Adam gave her a look. If she knew that, then why did she insist on coming anyway?

His mother stopped and turned around. "Come on, let's get up these stairs!"

He sighed and followed her to the club. When they reached the top he could see that the lights inside had been turned off. He was amused they were still trying to pull off the surprise anyway. His mother turned the handle and he followed her inside.

"SURPRISE!" a ton of voices yelled at once.

When the lights flicked on Adam was amazed at how many people were there. As the school year progressed Adam had gained more acquaintances, but his core group of friends was still pretty small. Eli and Clare were his best friends. They were standing in the middle next to Drew and Bianca. In the crowd he spotted Alli and their fellow science club members Connor and Wesley. By the DJ booth stood Sav and Holly J. Close by were the rest of the band. Everyone else who was here he could trace back to friends of friends, with the bulk of them belonging to Drew. While his brother wasn't as popular as he was at the start of the year, over time Drew managed to salvage his image somewhat.

Drew walked over to him. "Happy 16th little brother!" he grinned and threw an arm around his shoulder. "How does it feel?"

Adam idly wondered if he pre-gamed. With their mother standing beside them he wisely withheld comment. "Great. This place looks awesome, man."

Mrs. Torres smiled at her sons. "Good. Now continue to play nice," she said in jest.

Drew and Adam nodded. "We will!" Drew promised her.

Bianca came up to them. "Hi Mrs. Torres," she said sweetly.

"Hello Bianca. It's good to see you, dear," Mrs. Torres responded. "I hope you all have a fun time tonight," she addressed the three teens. She looked at her sons, "I expect you both to be back by weekend curfew."

"Absolutely," Adam affirmed. They waved goodbye and watched her go.

Drew grinned and snaked an arm around Bianca's waist. "Good! Now we can party!"

Adam shook his head in amusement.

"We've got drinks in the back room. What would you like?" Bianca asked him.

"Um," Adam paused. His experience with alcohol was limited to champagne and one can a beer Drew shared with him last summer.

"He's not drinking," Drew interjected. Bianca raised an eyebrow. "He's too young."

Adam frowned at him. "Dude, seriously?"

"What?" Clare asked curiously as she and Eli joined them.

Bianca smirked and turned to Drew. "Let's not corrupt the kiddies."

Eli narrowed his eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?" He tolerated Bianca because of Drew, but she wasn't one of his favorite people.

Drew chuckled. "It was just a joke, chill."

Eli and Clare shared a look. She silently urged him not to make a big deal out of it.

Adam glanced around the room, searching for Fiona. He wanted to ask Holly J if she knew what time she coming. Not long after he got home and had that argument with Drew, he received a text from an unknown number. It read, '_It's Declan. Fi and mom r still having a heart to heart. She'll b at ur party, so don't worry_.'

He was grateful beyond measure for that message. He wanted to ask Fiona if she would still be able to attend, but he knew dealing with her mom was stressful enough. He didn't want to add more pressure. Declan's text eased his mind so he didn't have to fret about it.

"Earth to Adam," Eli teased, interrupting his thoughts.

Adam looked up and found Clare, Eli, Drew, and Bianca staring at him.

"She's not here yet," Clare told him with a knowing smile. "Holly J doesn't know what time she's coming, but Declan texted her that they might be a little late."

"Oh," Adam said a little embarrassed. Had he been that obvious? Apparently so, because Eli and Drew wore matching smirks.

"Anyway, I asked if you wanted to grab some snacks. We have an awesome assortment of party grub," Eli continued.

"Uh, right. Let's do it," Adam responded positively. Eli and Clare smiled at him and the trio made their way over to the food.

.

tbc

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A/N: Yay! We've finally reached Adam's party. Woo hoo!

Lots of movement in this chapter. Torres brothers drama. Mrs. Torres being nice! (see, she's not always in bitch mode) The misfits hanging out at the end! And, it looks like Fiona will be attending after all, right?…

To anyone not familiar with pre-gaming, it's when you drink before heading out to a party or club. (Usually to save money by buying less alcohol when you're out)

**Come on by and Review! (they brighten my day ;-)**

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Other Notes:

So... I have a few new Fadam fics in the queue. There's a one-shot that takes place after the fic "Wanted" (it's very lemony). Am leaning towards posting it either today or later on in the week.

And, I just wanted to reiterate (haha, at my pun!), I'm **promo free** this week so please no spoilers/references to it in the reviews. Thanks! :D


	27. The Wait

"Bury The Castle" – part 26

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: The party rages on! Thanks for the reviews!

**FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

Eli smirked as Adam grabbed another handful of Doritos. The party was in full swing. Once again he was impressed with Sav's DJ skills. He effortlessly mixed dance tunes with hip hop, alt rock, and the occasional slow song. Eli and Clare had hit the dance floor a time or two. So had Adam with Clare and Alli, however they always found themselves back by the snack tables. Eli suspected it was because it afforded Adam a good view of the door. He was waiting for his 'princess'. Eli rolled his eyes at the nickname.

"A watched pot never boils," he quipped.

Adam blinked. "What?" he said confused.

Eli's smirk widened. "I'm just saying, watching the door like a hawk won't make her arrive any faster."

Clare gave him a warning look. She agreed with the sentiment, but she didn't want Adam to take it the wrong way.

Adam turned to his friend. "She'll be here," he asserted.

Eli nodded. "Yeah, I know. You should relax though. I mean, when has Fiona ever been on time?" he chuckled.

Adam frowned at him. He was annoyed by his remarks. "Fiona struggles with anxiety." He watched Eli's expression change to a regretful one. "What? Did you think she shows up to things late for the hell of it?" Adam pressed.

"I didn't know that," Eli responded quietly. He thought it was because simply she didn't care. After all, she was socialite and they were just 'ordinary' folks.

"Well, there's a lot you don't know," Adam told him. He hoped Fiona wouldn't be mad at him for sharing that, but he was tired of Eli judging her unfairly. Fiona was never late when it was just the two of them. In fact, she often arrived early. But when it came to social events with other people, she had a more difficult time getting out. Especially when she was going to a place where people had unfavorable opinions of her.

Clare also felt bad. She figured it was Fiona just being Fiona. She didn't realize there was an underlying reason why his girlfriend didn't meet them on time. Once again, she was struck by how the girl who had 'everything' dealt with a lot of issues under the surface.

"Point taken," Clare acknowledged. She looked at Adam and gave him a warm smile. "I'm sure she'll be here soon," she offered, trying to smooth things over.

Adam appreciated her words. "Thanks."

Owen stumbled over to the table and grabbed some pretzels. He smiled when he noticed Adam and his friends. "Hey man! Happy birthday!"

"Uh, thanks?" Adam said surprised. The older boy must have gotten an invite from Bianca or Drew because the two of them never talked. They barely interacted since the incident in the fall where Adam was thrown through a door. They had a brief truce in the weeks following, but that ended when Fitz encouraged Adam to fight a 'fellow girl'.

Eli glanced at Adam with a quizzical expression. He was equally puzzled as to why Owen was actually being friendly toward his friend.

Owen shoved another handful of pretzels into his mouth. "So, are you looking forward to getting your license?" he casually asked. "When I turned 16 I couldn't wait," he shared.

Adam shrugged. "I guess."

"You guess?" Owen chuckled. For once it wasn't a sarcastic laugh. "It's freedom, man!"

Eli and Clare shared a look. This was getting seriously weird. He peered closer at the junior and smirked. Owen must have spent some time in the back room because he was definitely a bit drunk. Eli found himself incredibly relieved at this observation. The universe had righted itself once again.

"Yeah, you're right," Adam responded. He darted his eyes around the room. Where was Drew? He'd rather not continue making small talk with his brother's football buddy.

"Hey," Bianca suddenly greeted them. Adam hadn't seen her approach, but he was happy she did.

"Hey Bianca!" he said in a cheery tone. "Owen's here."

She smirked. He wasn't very subtle, but Owen seemed a bit too toasty to notice. "I can see that," Bianca said amused. "Torres, let's hit the floor."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "You want to dance?" he said surprised.

She nodded. "Yeah. Why not?" she challenged with a playful smile.

Eli grinned. Better Adam than him.

"You can't stay glued to the snack table all night," Bianca teased. She then reached for his hand.

"Alright, sure," he reluctantly agreed.

-oOo-

Declan looked at his sister with a knowing smile. "We're almost there," he noted.

Fiona steadied her hands. Tapping on the arm rest was a nervous habit she longed to kick. "Thanks for the update," she deadpanned.

He laughed heartily. "Well, there is something in stating the obvious."

She raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"

He paused for effect. "It gets you talking," he smirked.

She smiled as she shook her head. "I guess that's true." Fiona turned and looked out the cab window again.

"You have nothing to be anxious about," Declan assured her.

"I know," she said defensively.

"I'm just saying, it's his party and he wants _you_ there. Plus you have good news to share," he continued.

She turned to him, slightly annoyed. "I don't need a pep talk, Declan."

He held up his hands in defeat. "Didn't think you did," he grinned. "But sometimes it's nice to hear the obvious, right?"

She shrugged conveying her ambivalence, but he knew his words did not go unappreciated. This day had been a rollercoaster of emotions. When their mother showed up at the condo unannounced, he worried about how things would turn out. The relationship between his sister and their mom had been strained since Fiona entered rehab. The situation with Adam caused a major blow out. Declan felt torn and had done all he could to fix things. Apparently his talk with their mom on Friday made an impact. His mother flew in today ready not only to talk with Fiona, but to truly listen.

"I'm still not sure if I made the right choice," Fiona said quietly. He deduced she was talking to herself but he decided answer her anyway.

"Fiona, I know it was a difficult decision but you did the best you could," he affirmed.

She smiled at him. "You think so?" she questioned.

He nodded. "I know so!"

She giggled. "Right, since when did you become a fashion expert?" she dismissed him.

Declan narrowed his eyes. "Hey! You and mom have dragged me along to enough runway shows. I'm pretty good with high fashion," he offered.

His sister drove him crazy sometimes. She had changed her dress three times before they left the condo and apparently she was still second guessing her choice!

-oOo-

"Thanks," Bianca said as they swayed to the music.

Adam looked at her curiously. "For what?"

Seeing his expression she smirked a little. "For not telling your mom what happened last fall. You could have made things difficult for me and Drew… but you didn't."

Adam shrugged. "Out of all of Drew's girlfriends, you're the only one that my mom has liked. He's really happy with you, so I didn't want to mess that up for him." He wished Drew shared the same sentiment.

Bianca genuinely smiled. Adam was a class act. She felt really bad about how she treated him before. He didn't deserve it. At the time she was embarrassed for flirting back and furious that he was trying to be something that he wasn't. As she got to know him, she realized that wasn't the case. Sure he had come on strong and displayed more bravado than he ordinarily did, but it wasn't all an act. The confident, funny, and sweet guy who pursued her was who he really was. To most people, Adam and Fiona seemed like an odd match, but Bianca could see what Fiona saw in him. His body certainly didn't match up with the person inside.

"I'm trying to get Drew to see that he should return the favor," she told him. Drew was incredibly stubborn when it came to his stance on Fiona, but she was slowly making progress. Before the guests arrived she got him to agree to give the hostility a rest for tonight. As his brother's girlfriend, Fiona would be by Adam's side most of the evening and Drew admitted he didn't want to make waves. Tonight was a celebration, after all.

Adam snorted. "Good luck with that!" He quickly spun Bianca around and she laughed.

"You're good," she noted, once she got her bearings.

"Ah, so_ now_ you remember my skills?" he teased.

She turned her head to the side. She didn't want him to see that she blushed a little at his reference to ballroom dancing. When she did, she noticed a few people had stopped dancing and were looking towards the door. She followed their line of sight and paused when she noticed two new arrivals to the party.

Bianca heard Adam laugh. "Hey, you know I was only joking right?" he asked after a moment.

Adam furrowed his brows and looked in the direction she was looking. When he did, his heart skipped a beat.

.

tbc

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A/N: I think the appearance of drunk!Owen underscores how different this fic is from the timeline related stories I've written! Lol!

Did anyone of you see that reveal coming with Fiona? The girl has a lot of on her plate :( And wow, Bianca to the rescue! Apparently Adam can still make her blush…

**Reviews are super lovely to read :D**

So, I'm 85% sure I'll end this fic at the party. But knowing me ("The Wedding" has 19 chapters and counting that takes place on one day!), this night may last awhile. There's at least another 4 long chapters to go. Possibly 5… We'll see!

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Shameless Plug!  
For anyone who missed it yesterday, I posted a new Fadam one-shot called "Daylight"! It falls under Romance/Humor. It's got major lemons, be forewarned! (Then again, how can lemons be bad, haha)

Other Note:  
I'm still **promo free**! I survived the weekend! Now only if I can get through the rest of the week without being spoiled *crosses fingers again*


	28. Kiss Me

"Bury The Castle" – part 27

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! I can't believe we're finally up to this chapter. Time flies! Lol! Anyway, the party continues!

**FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

Bianca turned back towards Adam. His eyes were fixed on Fiona and he had a silly grin on his face. She chuckled and glanced around. Almost everyone around them seemed to be looking between the two with interest.

"Go," she nudged him. He broke out of his trance and gave her a grateful smile.

"Thanks Bee," he said sincerely. He then walked through the crowd towards Fiona.

-oOo-

Fiona was a ball of nerves as she and Declan entered _Above The Dot_. Despite her annoyance with her brother in the cab, she was immensely thankful that he came with her. Inside she recognized a lot of faces from Degrassi. She ignored the lingering looks of those checking her out – she knew she looked great tonight – and searched the crowd for her boyfriend.

"There he is," she heard Declan said. She turned to her twin.

"Where?" she yelled over the music. Her brother smirked.

"With some girl with dark hair," Declan told her as he pointed.

She immediately recognized Bianca. Her eyes fell on her dance partner and she smiled. Adam was laughing and she thought he looked very handsome in his suit. Suddenly he looked up and their eyes met. Nothing else mattered as they stared at each other. Fiona idly wondered how she could have been anxious about coming here when being with Adam always felt so right.

Declan watched as Adam and Fiona approached each other. He had to hand it to his sister, she certainly knew had to make an entrance. This was quite dramatic, because the party was quickly turning from a dance to a spectator sport as more and more people paused to watch the unfolding scene. He scanned the crowd for familiar faces and spotted Sav at the DJ booth. Typical. He looked for Holly J, expecting her to be nearby but she wasn't. Interesting. He found her at the snack table, with her eyes fixed on Fiona and Adam. He decided to go join her.

-oOo-

All Adam could see was Fiona. He was thrilled that she was here and her eyes seemed to pull him in. He walked at a brisk pace and was delighted to see her coming towards him as well. They met at the edge of the dance floor and somehow managed to grin even wider. He stopped in front of her and simply stared for moment.

"I'm glad that you're here," he said softly, as he looked into her eyes.

"I wouldn't miss this for anything," she told him. There was truly no place else she'd rather be.

Adam held out his hand, "Care to dance?"

She happily nodded. "I was hoping you'd ask!" she teased.

They laughed as she placed her hand in his. Adam felt immensely happy at the contact. "Shall we?"

He led the way through the crowd, guiding them to a good spot to dance along to the slow song playing. He silently thanked Sav for having great timing. When they came to a stop Fiona effortlessly glided into his arms. He held onto her waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck. They stared into each other's eyes and swayed to the music. It was perfect.

-oOo-

"That's it?" Eli said slightly disappointed. After Fiona's grand entrance he was expecting a kiss or two, or at least a hug. Sure they were dancing close, but it was rather anticlimactic after the long build up.

Clare giggled at her boyfriend's expression. "Wow, voyeur much?"

He turned towards her defensively. "It's not like that! Besides, I wasn't the only one watching. Half of the party is _still_ watching them!"

Clare continued to laugh. There were a lot of eyes on the couple at the moment, but Eli was definitely exaggerating. "Guess I struck a nerve!" she teased him.

Several feet away, Bianca grinned as she approached her boyfriend. She had been looking for him and found him by the snack table frowning. Despite his mood, the pout on his face was adorable. "Turn that frown upside down," she said in jest as she reached him.

Drew instantly fixed his face. "There you are! I was starting to wonder if Adam was gonna run off with my girl," he joked.

"Well, I would have but then Fiona had to come along and spoil it," Bianca teased. Drew smiled and wrapped his arm around his girlfriend. "They're cute," she commented.

Drew shrugged. "Well, I heard according to Greek myths Medusa had a pretty face too."

Bianca laughed. "Wow, you scare me a little sometimes!"

He laughed and pulled her in for a kiss. "You love my sarcasm! Admit it."

This time Bianca shrugged.

"Hey guys!" Owen said excitedly. They both rolled their eyes, annoyed at him for ruining the moment.

"Hey Owen. Easy there! Might want to slow down on the drinks, man," Drew suggested in a light tone.

Owen waved him off. "I'm not fucked up yet, so I'm good."

Drew and Bianca shared a look.

"So what's going on over there?" Owen asked, speaking about Adam and Fiona.

Drew held back a groan and turned to him. "What does it look like?"

"I didn't know they were back together," Owen stated. He smirked before adding, "If that was my girl we'd be joined at the lips _all_ night."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Right."

"Dude, shut up," Drew said annoyed. He might not like her that much, but Fiona was his brother's girlfriend. He wouldn't tolerate anyone talking about her that way. It was disrespectful to both her and Adam.

"Hey, why are you mad? Just saying, I don't know what he's waiting for," Owen responded perplexed.

Drew glanced over the couple and spotted them engrossed in conversation as they danced. They were clearly in their own world, and weren't paying the slightest attention to onlookers.

-oOo-

"You look amazing, Fiona," Adam complimented her. She smiled at the look of complete adoration his face. She knew she probably had a silly grin stuck on hers too.

"This old thing? It was just lying around," she joked.

Adam laughed. He wanted to caress her cheek but he held back. "I have my doubts about that, but I guess I'll just have to take your word for it."

Her eyes shone with contentment. "You look rather handsome tonight Mr. Torres," she told him.

Adam snorted. "I try," he quipped. He looked deeply into her eyes. "So, how did things go with your mom?" He was dying to know all day and now was the moment of truth.

Fiona smiled broadly. She had momentarily forgotten about that! Every time she found herself in his arms, all her fears and problems melted away.

"She's had time to think things over and she realizes that she was too harsh and not understanding enough. She wants to things to be better between us. We had a long, emotional talk about everything and..." She took a deep breath to steady herself. Adam looked at her expectantly. "I told her that I'm pansexual."

"Fi, that's great! What did she say?" he asked curiously. He hoped her mother had kept an open mind, but either way he was incredibly proud of Fiona. It took a lot of courage to tell her mother about how she identified. He knew firsthand how nerve wracking something like that could be, but he also knew how freeing it felt afterward.

Fiona grinned at him. His support meant a lot to her. "Well, she's still taking it in, but she now knows it's not a phase and it has nothing to with Bobby. I know it's not what she wanted to hear, but she's getting there." In time acceptance would come.

"That's wonderful. I'm so glad to hear this!" he told her.

"Me too," she nodded. "We also got around to talking about you." Adam raised an eyebrow. Fiona could barely contain her excitement. "I told her that your mom backed off. Her reaction was hard to read. At the end of our discussion she told me she has some ground rules for us, but she's not going to stop us from dating!"

Adam's eyes widened. "What! Are you serious?" he exclaimed loudly.

More than a few people turned around startled. Neither Adam nor Fiona cared.

Fiona looked at him and nodded vigorously. "I am!"

He let out a laugh and pulled her close. "You can be my girlfriend again?" He didn't wait for a response before bringing his lips to hers. Fiona eagerly kissed back.

Suddenly they heard a bunch of whooping and clapping. Adam looked up and was reminded they were in the middle of the dance floor. Fiona softly laughed and pulled on his collar, bringing him near. He grinned and readily kissed her again.

.

tbc

* * *

A/N: Fadam kisses! Finally, right? :-p

And geez, they've got an audience! Lots of nosy people for sure… Btw, did anyone else go "eww" at the mental image of Owen macking on Fiona? Ten cool points to Drew for shutting him down.

The next chapter involves cake. Lots of cake...

**Review! You know you want to :D**

**

* * *

**

Other Note:  
Thanks for the support on remaining **promo free**! Now that I'm passed the first few days, I think I've beaten the urge to look it up and am avoiding Degrassi sites. However, I do miss checking out the Adam tumblr *sigh* It's almost certainly full of spoilers so I won't!

-Cheers!


	29. Cake Time

"Bury The Castle" – part 28

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! Yeah, I didn't hear about the leak until you guys. I'm so out of the loop (by choice), Lol! Still refuse to give in, so I'm unspoiled!

Anyway, I promised cake, so here we go!

**FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

Holly J grabbed a few Doritos from the bowl. She had been here for an hour and was actually having a good time. She felt guilty when she first arrived and saw Sav, but he had been busy all night spinning records. She spent her time dancing with friends. Anya was here, along with Riley and Zane.

She was surprised so many students from Degrassi showed up. Adam was a great guy but he wasn't Mr. Popular. Even though she despised him, she had to hand it to Drew. The guy knew how to throw a great party. The decorations and great music combined with the low-key offerings in the back room and his social connections, all pulled together in the end.

"Are they any good?" she heard a familiar voice ask.

She knew who it was before she turned around. "Declan," she said. The snacks in her hand were quickly forgotten.

Declan smiled at her. "Hey."

They stared at each other for a few moments. Holly J caught herself and promptly looked away. Declan instantly furrowed his brows. She had turned away so quickly, it was like she had been burned.

"About yesterday—"

He quickly interrupted her. "It never happened," he stated. He looked into her eyes and they reached an understanding. Holly J looked back at him relieved.

"Thanks," she said quietly. When it came to Declan, she never knew which way was up and which way was down. She had a lot on her plate with finishing school, work, and applying for scholarships for university. Right now she needed to remain focused and she couldn't with him back in her life. She wasn't over him. Deep down she probably never would be, but she knew right now wasn't their time.

Declan gave her a wry smile. "There's always Yale?" he quipped.

She smiled at him, elated that he understood. This time around he wasn't going to push things. She felt more hopeful for them than she felt in a long time. She looked away, and when she did a sight caught her eye that made her laugh.

Declan looked at her curiously. "What's so funny?"

Holly J grinned and shook her head. "Just keep looking this way… Trust me on this one," she teased, still laughing.

Curiosity got the better of him and Declan followed her eyes. He spotted his sister and her boyfriend mid-liplock in the middle of the dance floor, and quickly looked away.

"I warned you," she grinned.

Declan gave her a look. "I guess Fiona told him," he said.

"Told him what?" Holly J asked.

Declan smirked again. "Our mom had a change of heart too," he revealed.

"Really?" Holly J responded surprised.

He nodded. "Yep. You're probably going to see a lot more of that," he deadpanned.

She playfully hit his arm.

-oOo-

Adam couldn't be happier in this moment. The lights were dimmed and he was standing in front of table with his birthday cake. Fiona was on his left and they were holding hands. Drew was on his right, singing horribly off-key as the whole room sang 'Happy Birthday'.

"Time to make a wish!" Drew said excitedly.

Adam looked at him and chuckled. He glanced at Fiona and caught her smiling at him. This was how he wished things could be all the time. His brother and friends getting along with the woman he cherished and loved.

"Those candles won't blow themselves out!" Eli heckled him. The older boy had wheeled out the table with the cake and was standing on the other side.

Adam frowned at him. He quickly made his wish – '_I wish for things to go smoothly for me and Fiona_' – and took a deep breath. He then blew out the candles. There were just two big ones, the numbers '1' and '6'.

Everyone clapped and he smiled. However, before Adam could move away his head was suddenly pushed down and he landed in the cake face first.

The room was silent for moment, aside from Drew's laughter. Adam popped up and wiped some icing from his face.

"What the hell, Andrew?" he yelled annoyed.

Drew was still smirking. "That's payback for 2009!" he boasted. "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time! Booyah!" he added, invoking Adam's catchphrase.

Adam was incensed. That was the reason he had green frosting and chocolate cake on his face, and on the collar of his brand new suit? "I thought we had truce!"

Everyone looked on, stunned. Bianca couldn't believe the level of immaturity she was witnessing. Fiona was still trying to figure out what was going on. Eli, who usually always had a sarcastic quip ready, was momentarily speechless.

Drew shook his head. "Mom was watching us like a hawk last year. Word of advice, if you pull a prank with 20 water balloons a real truce can never be reached!"

Adam involuntarily smirked at the memory. He had gotten Drew pretty badly for his birthday that year. The following one their parents had the festivities on lockdown.

Eli finally found his voice. "Dude, this is why you made us pick up two cakes?"

When he and Clare arrived at the cake shop to pick up the order, he had called Drew thinking there was a mistake. One cake was large enough to accommodate the party. Drew told him the second one was back up and not to worry because both were already paid for.

Drew nodded triumphantly. "Yep, and it was worth every penny."

Adam glared at him. All of this had been planned beforehand? "Dude, you're dead!"

He grabbed a handful of the ruined cake and hurled it at Drew. Everyone standing near him scattered, including Bianca. The piece of cake landed on Drew's shoulder.

"That's all you got?" Drew taunted him. He ran towards the cake just as Adam threw another handful at him. This time it hit his chin and neck.

Adam laughed heartily. "You were saying?" he teased.

A food fight between the two brothers ensued.

"This is ridiculous!" Clare commented as she huddled over to where Fiona and Bianca had taken cover.

"You think?" Bianca said annoyed.

"I can't believe Drew did that," Fiona commented.

"Um, your boyfriend is throwing pieces cake too," Bianca pointed out. The two girls narrowed their eyes at each other.

"As much as it pains me to say this, Bianca's right," Eli noted.

Adam and Drew were laughing as they continued the fight. Adam had been mad at the beginning, but he wasn't anymore. Their clothes were a disaster and the cake was now inedible, but they were having fun.

"Guys," Sav said trying to get their attention. "Guys! GUYS!" he yelled loudly.

Drew and Adam froze. Drew had a handful of cake in hand that he intended to smash onto his little brother's head.

"Who's going to clean all this up?" he said angrily. The brothers had made quite a mess right in front of the stage. The owner had let them borrow the space for the party, so it had to be in pristine condition by the time they all left.

"Sorry," they both mumbled quietly.

Declan smirked. "I'm sure if we all chip in, it won't be so bad," he offered.

Sav frowned at him. Why was Declan even here?

"Well, I'm not signing up for clean up duty," Bianca huffed. She looked directly at Drew. "This was supremely stupid."

"I know. But you didn't see the prank he pulled on me, the birthday before last!" Drew countered. She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I got him pretty bad," Adam admitted. Drew sent him a grateful look.

"It doesn't matter who's wrong or right. We have cake on the floor to clean up and you guys look a mess! We didn't even take birthday cake photos yet! Now we can't!" Clare scolded them.

Drew scratched his head. "I brought a change of clothes."

Adam gave him a look. "Well, good for _you_!" he deadpanned.

Drew chuckled. "I brought a change of clothes for you, too, doofus!"

Eli snorted. "You brought a second cake _and_ extra clothes. You really went all out?"

Drew looked at his brother and shrugged. "I just wanted Adam to have a good birthday," he quipped.

"By shoving his head into birthday cake?" Fiona questioned. She really didn't get him. It was a douche move in her opinion.

Drew rolled his eyes. "We have a long history of prank wars. You wouldn't understand because you just met him all of five minutes ago!" he snapped at her.

"Andrew," Adam said in a warning tone. One minute they were having fun and all was right, then the next the same old tensions returned.

"Sorry. I'm just saying, sure it was stupid, but you can't deny that you had fun," Drew stated.

Adam looked at him for a long moment before he slowly grinned. "If I were you, I'd be really afraid of my next birthday."

.

tbc

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A/N: Oh Drew! You got to give him points for planning, though! Right? (Btw, that food fight was so much fun to write!)

And, yes! Dolly J will always have Yale! And why not a little bit of fun before that ;-)

**Reviews are cool to the school :D**

Wow, these are some long chapters! Oh well! Still trying to wrap this up by Friday but it's hard, lol.

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Other Note: I'm still thinking 'Ignorance is bliss', which drives me to stay away for sneaking a look… or googling Degrassi, even though I want to see Fadam… *sigh*


	30. Our Truths

"Bury The Castle" – part 29

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews and PMs! I'm glad you guys enjoyed the cake. Yeah, it totally made me hungry too…

To the folks I'm unable to PM :) -

Anonymous - Thanks! I'm so glad to hear that! To answer your question, yes, I will write about Fadam's "summer of love". It's going to be a series of one-shots/vingettes and it's tentatively entitled "Love In The City" (a little cheesy, but hey!). It will definitely flesh out some gaps in the timeline stories. Like how Adam came to the decision to start transitioning. What Declan's thoughts were on Fadam's relationship in the beginning. When Uncle Pepe first met Adam as "Adam". Anyway, still working on it. Thanks for reviewing!

Raidon - Thanks for all the awesome reviews! I agree it would have been best if Holly J and Declan had put their relationship on hold. I guess they figured they were so in love that they could survive the distance. :( Oh, and about Adam/Bianca... They would have been epic if Bianca had an open mind. I still maintain they had serious chemistry in MBIAC.

2nd Anonymous - The absurdity of it all makes me laugh too. Yes, I'm totally ridic, haha! Thanks for the review and the kind words!

Author's Note #2:** FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

Drew walked with Adam to the bathroom. He had already handed his younger brother a bag with the extra clothes he had bought from home.

"We could take turns?" Adam suggested as they reached their destination. Drew shook his head.

"No, I don't want you to feel rushed. You deserve to have the room with the sink," he said. "I'll be fine in the back room. Besides, I can wash my hair out with beer," he joked.

Adam chuckled. "Well, now that you mention it I _do_ deserve to have all the amenities," he said in jest.

Drew grinned. "Sorry about the cake in your hair." After he pushed Adam into the cake, the frosting had gone everywhere.

Adam gave his brother a knowing look. "No, you're not!"

Drew erupted into laughter as he shook his head. "Not in the slightest!" he admitted. "It was really funny!"

"I'm getting you back, dude!" Adam promised. He already had a few ideas in mind.

"Excuse me!" Bianca said as she pushed past them and went into the bathroom.

Drew frowned. "Babe, Adam's using the room to clean up," he told her. He and Adam had been standing in the threshold.

"I know. I'm just wetting some paper towels so you have a chance of getting that green stuff out of your hair," she informed him. "Not that you deserve it," she quickly added.

Drew and Adam exchanged a look. Adam couldn't help but smirk. He was more than happy not to be on Bianca's bad side. When she left, Drew followed her. Adam was relieved to be alone and closed the door.

He was eager to get out his soiled clothes. He took off his jacket and quickly unbuttoned his shirt. Upon taking it off, the collar brushed across some frosting on his neck. "Crap!" he said annoyed. The suit was definitely going to need dry cleaning.

Adam moved towards the sink, looking for paper towels. He cursed when he didn't see any. He wondered if Bianca took them all. He still needed to wash his face and all he had was toilet paper.

Suddenly he heard a knock at the door.

"Someone's in here!" he yelled irritated.

"I know," he heard from the other side. He instantly recognized the voice. "It's me. Open up!"

Adam grinned and carefully positioned himself behind the door, out of view. With his shirt off, his wrap was visible and he didn't want anyone else passing by to see. He then opened the door.

Fiona walked in with a smirk. "Is anybody in here?" she teased.

Adam chuckled and quickly closed the door behind her. "Just your prince," he grinned.

She softly laughed. "Well, well. I thought only Princess Fiona was supposed to be green," she joked, referencing the bits of frosting lingering on the edges of his face, neck, and in his hair.

He shrugged. "Still gotta wash my face and there's no paper towels," he lamented.

"I know. That's why I brought some," she told him. It was then that he noticed she was carrying a stack of them in her hands. "Bianca told me where to find them."

Adam looked at her in wonder. "Thank you." He stepped towards her and she took one back.

"Um, perhaps you should clean up first?" she suggested. "I'm wearing couture."

Adam laughed heartily. "Wow, I'm untouchable now?"

She nodded. "Hey, it's the price you pay for engaging in cake fights," she retorted with a hint of seriousness.

Adam lowered his head and moved towards the sink. "It _was_ pretty stupid… but it was classic Drew–"

Fiona snorted.

He continued, "and me, too. We're silly sometimes," he defended his brother. He splashed water on his face. After a short silenced he asked, "Are you mad at me?"

Fiona shook her head. "No."

He grabbed a paper towel and matted his wet hair. "Then tell me what's on your mind," he pressed. He could sense something was troubling her.

She fidgeted. "I don't know how to say this," she started.

Adam frowned. He felt a tight feeling in his gut. He found her eyes in the mirror. "Fi, you can tell me anything," he quietly assured her.

She looked away. "I love you. And I'm really glad that finally our parents have eased up. My brother is supportive too, which is great." She paused.

"But?" He grabbed another paper and dried his face.

"I really can't stand your brother," she blurted out.

Adam raised an eyebrow. The room was quiet for a few seconds, before they both burst out laughing. He walked over to her, now freshly cleaned, and pulled her into his arms.

"I think I may have picked up on that," he said lightly as he looked into her eyes.

"I'm trying hard to be nice but he's so…" she trailed off.

"Grating? Annoying? Irritating?" he offered. She giggled. "Yeah, welcome to my world! Underneath all of that, he's a great guy."

She grimaced, unconvinced. Adam caressed her cheek.

"He's been a jerk lately, but I'm going to talk to him," he assured her. He placed a quick kiss on her lips. "I promise," he added.

He grabbed a clean shirt. Drew packed a green Dead Hand t-shirt for him, along with dark denim jeans and a black blazer. He also included a matching baseball cap, which Adam appreciated.

"How do I look?" he asked when he had everything on.

Fiona eyed him up and down. "Looking good Mr. Torres."

He laughed. "Cool. Am I worthy of a couture kiss?" he teased.

Fiona gave him a look. "What do you think?" she quipped. He smiled and they both leaned in for a kiss.

-oOo-

"What do you think?" Drew asked his girlfriend. He finally got all the bits of cake out of his hair. He had gone through many damp sheets of paper towels.

Bianca let out a short laugh. "It's an interesting look."

He frowned at her. It was the first time he had been around her without product in his hair.

"Aww, baby, I'm just joking!" She kissed his cheek.

He continued to pout. "Yeah, right."

"Well, the rest of you is a 10," she smirked.

He gave her a look, clearly unamused.

"Come on, you can dish it but you can't take it?" she noted with a grin.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he questioned.

She lightly ran her hand through his hair. Drew smiled at her touch.

"Don't you think you were a bit… extra? Tonight?" she said delicately.

He sighed. "Fine. Maybe if I had to do it over again, there are some things I wouldn't have done. But the cake thing was epic."

Bianca rolled her eyes.

"You don't understand," he said calmly. "Adam and I have been pranking each other for years. Growing up our parents always got on my case for playing too rough with my 'sister'. Adam got away with murder so many times. After he transitioned they still treated him with kid gloves because they hadn't let go of Gracie." He paused.

Bianca watched him and waited for him to continue.

Drew turned to her. "When I turned 15, Adam and I had just switched schools again. I didn't have many friends there yet, so we had a small celebration in the backyard. Right before we were to cut the cake, Adam executed a rather sophisticated prank. I ended up soaking wet, as did the cake and our mom got caught in the cross hairs."

"No way!" Bianca shouted.

Drew nodded. "Yeah! Looking back, I had to admit it _was_ pretty awesome. Anyway, after that my parents revoked any special treatment for him. They finally realized they had _two_ teenage boys. He was grounded for two weeks, just like I would have been."

Bianca shook her head. "I can't believe that's considered a good thing," she noted the irony.

Drew laughed. "I know, but it was."

.

tbc

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A/N: So Drew and Bianca have pet names too? Not very original ones, but then again it's Drew and Bianca… Lol!

Fiona and Adam were adorable. Aww.

**Review! It's like chicken soup for the Fadam shipper's soul :D**

So… It's not looking good for finishing this by Friday. I really wanted to be done before the next Fadam episode aired, but I did the math and the chapters are too frickin' long! I tried revising part 31, to fit an ending there but for now I split it in two. Some major drama goes down in the next chapter and I don't wanna rush it…

Off-Topic:  
On a really seriously happy note, I just completed another chapter in my Fadam engagement story. It's one of my Far Future fics and it makes me smile. Not sure when it'll be posted, but it's part of the timeline series :D On a random note, Fiona's grandmother is actually in it! (She was briefly mentioned in "The Wedding", chapter 17)

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Other Note:  
Still going strong! Am **promo free** :D


	31. Shattered

"Bury The Castle" – part 30

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: This story is up to 91 pages in word… wowzers! Anyway, without further ado...

**FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

Drew and Bianca returned to the main room, holding hands.

Eli walked up to him. "So, are we going to cut the cake anytime soon? We've been waiting for awhile."

Drew furrowed his brows. "Adam's not back yet?"

The dark haired boy shook his head.

"But he had the room with the sink," Drew said to himself. He turned to Eli. "I'll go check on him."

-oOo-

Kissing Fiona was something Adam could never get enough of. He ran his hand through her hair and rested the other one on her cheek as he lightly nibbled on her lower lip. After a moment he let go and joined his open mouth with hers. Their tongues met and leisurely caressed. He heard her sigh in pleasure and he grinned a little as they continued to make out.

Fiona leaned into him, eager to get closer. At the moment, it was just him and her. Everything else faded away. Parents and their expectations. Friends and their skepticism. Fears of what the future might hold. None of it mattered because she was in Adam's arms, and his lips were on hers.

Suddenly they heard three swift knocks on the door.

"Adam? Are you still in there?" they heard from the other side.

He reluctantly ended their kiss and groaned. "Yes, Andrew?"

Fiona rolled her eyes.

"We're waiting to cut the cake. For real this time," Drew informed his brother through the door. "Is everything alright? Do you have everything you need? I hope I didn't leave anything out," he inquired in rapid succession.

"I'm fine! I'll be right out," Adam told him.

Fiona and Adam shared a look.

"Don't say it," he grinned. She smirked at him. They readjusted their clothing and moments later Adam opened the door.

"There you are!" Drew said relieved. "You look good," he commented.

Adam nodded, "Thanks."

Drew started towards the main room. "I'm sorry about the clothes. Didn't realize it would be such a pain to get cleaned up–" He abruptly stopped and narrowed his eyes when he saw Fiona follow Adam out of the bathroom.

Adam grabbed Fiona's hand and the two smiled at each other.

"So that's why you were taking so long," Drew noted with annoyance.

Adam shook his head. "Okay, this ends right now," he said sternly.

Drew threw him a quizzical look.

"Fiona is my _girlfriend_. I know you're mad about the past, but it's time to get over it! You can't keep acting passive aggressive and downright shitty towards her. I love her, Drew! I love her with my whole heart. So when you act hurtful towards her, it hurts me too," Adam pointed out. "I've always supported you and I just want you to be happy. Can't you do the same for me? She makes me happy. I don't want to be with anyone else, so stop trying to push her away."

Drew looked at his feet. He felt terribly guilty. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.

Fiona looked at Drew curiously. He looked like he'd been punched in the gut. She turned to Adam who was cautiously watching his brother.

"Do we have an understanding?" Adam pressed, in a calmer tone.

Drew looked up. "I'm sorry," he repeated. "I'm not trying to hurt you, Adam. But I think she's wrong for you."

Adam narrowed his eyes. "It's not up for debate!" he yelled.

"When you guys first broke up, you were afraid no one else would date you. But that's not true, Adam! You don't need to settle for her because you don't want to be alone," Drew told him, refusing to back down.

"Adam isn't settling for me!" Fiona argued. She was livid at his words.

"What the hell are you talking about, Drew? I'm lucky to be with her!" Adam shouted.

"There you go! You just proved my point, Adam! You'll put up with whatever she throws at you because you feel 'lucky' to be with her," Drew pushed back. He turned to Fiona, "And you have someone to control, who won't run away from your dysfunction!"

Fiona glared at him. It took all of her restraint not to slap him.

"Take it back, Andrew!" Adam demanded angrily. "You're one to talk! You only started dating Bianca because no one else would have you! I don't see how the desire to get laid makes it true love!"

Drew snorted. "Well at least I'm smart enough to know just because a chick spreads her legs it doesn't mean she loves me!" he retorted. "You know what Bianca and I have in our relationship? _Honesty_. You've got lies, manipulation, and codependency!"

Adam blinked. He looked absolutely shell-shocked. Drew immediately regretted the harshness of his words.

"Adam–" he said softly.

"Don't!" Fiona yelled at him. "You've said enough! I'm done trying to make nice because you're Adam's brother. You're an _asshole_! You have no right to judge me or my relationship with Adam! You have no idea what's in my heart or my head! Yes, I screwed up! My life was falling apart and I was confused. I never meant to hurt Adam, but I did. Yet, everything we've gone through has made us stronger! You don't know the half of it, Drew, and it's insulting for you to claim that you do!" she ranted.

When Adam met Drew's eyes there was darkness the older boy had never seen before. "Thanks for the great party, bro," he spat bitterly. He turned to Fiona. "Let's go."

She looked into his eyes. Hers were filled with concern. "Adam… I don't think we should go. We shouldn't run from this."

He furrowed his brows. "I can't stay here. He thinks I'm some weak, loser who wants to believe some empty fairytale. He doesn't get me, and he certainly doesn't get us," he told her in a calm tone.

Drew remained silent.

Adam continued, "You're amazing, Fiona. Damn right I feel lucky, but not due to low self esteem. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me. I never thought I'd feel this way about another person, but because of you I know what love is like. And the best part is that you feel the same way about me. I can see it in your eyes, so I know this to be true."

Adam reached up and gently caressed her cheek. Fiona smiled and placed her hand on top of his.

"I do. You're incredible and I feel so blessed to have you in my life. I love you," she told him, as she looked into his eyes. "I wanted to be intimate with you, not to manipulate you. It was because I felt safe, protected, and comfortable opening up to you in that way. It isn't easy to be vulnerable, but I found it easy to trust you. Making love to you felt _right_."

"I know," Adam affirmed.

"It wasn't just a physical thing." She briefly glanced at his brother and threw him a hard look. She returned her gaze to Adam before adding, "There's a connection between us and I have no regrets about sharing that part of myself with you."

Adam smiled broadly. He found it difficult to put how he felt into words so he leaned forward and kissed her.

"Guys, are we ever going to cut to the cake?" Eli asked as he moved towards the group. He rounded the corner just in time to catch Adam and Fiona kissing. He smirked and looked at Drew. "I guess you're their captive audience?" he quipped.

Drew didn't smile. "I screwed up again," he said quietly. Eli threw him a quizzical look.

.

tbc

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A/N: Yikes! This one lives up to the chapter title, right? I hinted at drama going down in this chapter in my last note, but I didn't want to give away too much. The relationship between the Torres brothers has hit its breaking point. Not sure if Drew can salvage things this time!

Oy! Drew! He can quote John Mayer – "_My stupid mouth / Has got me in trouble / I said too much again…_"

**Review! You know you want to :D**

As for wrapping this up, here's the idea – part 31 will be added on Saturday. And hopefully the ending, part 32 will be up on Sunday. If it's runs too long either I'll double post or add the final chapter on Monday.

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***FYI, added a second update tonight!***


	32. Tension

"Bury The Castle" – part 31

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: Hey everyone! Double posting tonight because I won't be around on Sunday :D

So, **avoid my note at the end** if you haven't seen the latest episode! Anyway, it's kind of awesome that this story is still plausible in canon right now.

**FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

Adam and Fiona pulled apart. "I love you," he told her. She smiled. He then turned to Drew and Eli.

"I'll cut the cake, but after that I'm out of here. Andrew, I'm so mad at you… Honestly, the only reason I didn't _punch_ you was because I don't want to get grounded," he said curtly. He and Fiona were finally officially back together and he didn't want his mother to backtrack.

Eli raised his eyebrows. "Wait, what did I miss?" he asked confused.

"Andrew's fantastic speech about how my relationship with Fiona is based on lies and she only slept with me to keep me hanging around," Adam surmised. His voice was laced with anger.

Eli's face fell. "Drew, tell me you didn't?"

Drew crossed his arms defensively. "Like you haven't said the same thing," he retorted. Eli froze.

Adam looked at his friend and narrowed his eyes. "You guys are unbelievable! Worry about your own damn relationships!"

"Adam! I don't think that!" Eli refuted. "Yes, I've been skeptical of you and Fiona, but I can see that you really care for her. I just want you to be happy. That's all that matters to me."

Adam looked at him for a long moment. "I am."

Eli grinned. "Then I am too," he assured him.

Drew lowered his head. "I'm sorry," he rushed out.

Adam snorted. "For what?" he asked pointedly.

"For everything! For the harsh words I said. For demeaning what you and Fiona have. I didn't mean for things to spiral out of control," Drew apologized. He was wracked with guilt.

Fiona glared at him. "You called me dysfunctional, implied I'm with Adam so I could control him, accused me of being manipulative, and said our relationship was based on lies. So, NO, that apology isn't enough!"

-oOo-

"They're taking a while," Holly J noted. Sav looked at her and shrugged.

"Maybe I should spin another record?" he suggested.

Holly J frowned as she glanced around the room. "Fiona isn't out here," she noted.

"Do you think something's up?" Sav asked her.

Declan walked over to them. "Should I investigate?" he asked.

Sav sighed. "Holly J and I were having a conversation," he stated. Declan was always lurking around and it annoyed him. He was dating Holly J now.

Declan smirked. "And you mentioned my sister."

Holly J looked at them warily. "Guys, now's not the time. Let's stay focused," she reminded them.

"You're right," Declan smirked.

Sav rolled his eyes. He looked off to the side and noticed Bianca walking out of the room.

As she exited the main room, Bianca had a scowl on her face. She knew something was wrong, but she wasn't sure what. When she rounded the corner towards the bathroom, she spotted Drew, Eli, Adam, and Fiona huddled in what looked like a tense conversation. Their body language gave it away.

"Hey, are you guys coming?" Bianca asked as she approached them. Drew looked up with a guilty expression. Everyone else looked slightly mad.

"We might as well," Adam responded in a detached tone. He turned to walk away.

"Wait!" Drew said desperately and grabbed his arm. "Look, I'm sorry! I don't know how many different ways I can say that, but I'll repeat it as much as I need to for it to sink in!"

Adam scoffed. "Drew, you keep apologizing. Yet you keep acting like an ass!"

"They're empty words," Fiona dismissed him.

Drew stuffed down his annoyance and turned to her with a conciliatory expression. "I'm sorry for what I said about you, too. It was unfair… and unnecessarily cruel. But Adam and I are brothers. I'm not going anywhere so we have to learn to get along."

Bianca furrowed her brows. "Drew, what the hell did you do?"

The four of them paused and she sighed.

She looked at her boyfriend. "That bad, huh?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm trying to make things right."

A short, tense silence followed. Bianca had only just joined them and she felt uncomfortable, so she knew everyone had to feel it too.

"So… Are we going to do this cake thing? There's a room full of hungry people," Bianca reminded them.

-oOo-

This time around Drew was standing far away from him as Adam cut the cake. Fiona stood on his left. Eli and Clare were standing to his right.

"No cake smashing this time, right?" Declan joked.

Adam shook his head and everyone laughed. Drew looked on glumly.

Eli handed him a knife and Adam cut the first piece. Just like the last one, the cake had green frosting and stenciled on top was the artwork for his favorite Dead Hand album. It had one layer, which was chocolate, but there were also chocolate chips throughout. Adam was heaven.

He handed the first piece to Fiona but she protested that the slice was too big. Eli eagerly swooped it up.

"Dude, this is awesome!" he remarked as he chewed a piece. Clare gave him a look, annoyed he was talking while eating. He smirked in response.

Fifteen minutes later, everyone had gotten a slice and Clare was rounding up the troops for a group picture.

"Eli, do you know where Drew went?" she asked her boyfriend.

He shrugged. "Probably in the back room or something. But I think it's better for him to sit this one out," he told her.

Clare looked at him concerned. "I noticed some weird tension when we were dividing up the cake. What happened? You guys were gone for a long time."

Eli sighed. He quickly glanced around the room before pulling her aside, near one of the walls. "Drew said a bunch of hurtful stuff to Adam about his relationship with Fiona."

Clare gasped. "Why would he do that? I don't get it." Everyone knew how Drew felt about Fiona, but it was her understanding that he aimed to be on his best behavior tonight.

Eli shook his head. "I don't know. Because he's Drew and he says stuff without thinking!"

Clare shook his head. "What did he say?"

Eli grimaced. "It was bad. _Really_ bad. That's all I can say."

"Hey," Fiona said timidly as she approached them.

Eli and Clare shared a look, and stood up straighter.

"Hi Fiona," Clare said politely and gave her a friendly smile.

"Are you still planning to take pictures? I'm asking because Adam and I are going to head out of here soon," she explained.

Clare was a little annoyed with her speaking on the behalf of their best friend. "Um, yeah we are. Where is Adam?"

Fiona tilted her head towards the DJ booth. Sav and Adam were excitedly talking. "He has a song request before we go."

"Oh," Eli responded. It felt weird being out of the loop with him. Ordinarily it would be the three of them hanging out until the end of the night. He had assumed he was going to drive Adam home tonight in Morty.

"Fiona, I'm sorry about Drew. He can be a bit much sometimes," Clare started. Fiona readily nodded in agreement. "I'm sure he's kicking himself tonight. He's just protective–"

Fiona cut her off. "And let me guess, underneath it all he's a nice guy?" she questioned dryly. She then crossed her arms.

"I know it doesn't seem like it, but he is," Clare defended him.

"I'm done giving him passes. The guy's a jerk and he needs to grow up," Fiona declared.

"Okay… Guess we should agree to disagree?" Eli interjected in a teasing manner, hoping to raise spirits.

Adam suddenly wrapped his arms around Fiona from behind and kissed her cheek. "Hey princess," he smiled.

Fiona giggled. "Hmm, I thought you were DJ-ing."

"I was for awhile, but then I started to miss you too much." He had a silly grin on his face.

"Wow. You guys are giving _me_ the runs," Eli zinged them. The couple looked up and smiled.

"I'm so glad to return the favor!" Adam retorted.

They all laughed.

.

tbc

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A/N: Lot's of tension. Even more cake. Hmm, it's time for Drew to sit in a corner…

**Reviews rock! (and there's only one more chapter left so you're running out of time) :D**

Next chapter is the last. Will post tomorrow. I'm really happy I finished it before watching the new episode. (New episodes always kind of tinker with the ideas in my head)

* * *

Other Note: (*avoid if you haven't seen the new episode*)

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.

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[ okay, I totally gave you fair warning! ]

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At the moment I'm a bit numb. Part of me kind of doesn't care what happens with Fadam on the show. I think the writers missed a BIG opportunity with Fiona/Adam and I'm glad there's fan fic because I honestly enjoy the storylines much more. Eh, what can you do? I mentally prepared myself to be disappointed so it's not so bad this time around. I'm just glad FJ seems one sided. Maybe it's bitter, but if we can't have Fadam then I'm happy as long as Folly J doesn't happen. ;-)

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	33. Let Go

"Bury The Castle" – part 32

Summary and additional notes in prologue chapter.

Author's Note: We've reached the end of the line! This is it folks, the **final chapter**!

**FYI, this story not related to my other Fadam series. **(It's not part of the timeline stories. View my Author's Profile for details.)

Music Credit: I do NOT own Phil Collins lyrics ;-) Btw, the title of this fic was inspired from line by the Paramore song "Brick By Boring Brick".

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Degrassi!

* * *

-oOo-

Bianca was at a loss for words. Drew had just told her what went down between him, Adam, and Fiona. They were in the back room, sitting on the lone couch. It was just the two of them. She watched as he downed another swig of beer.

"Go on," he said suddenly. "Say it. I feel the judgment in your eyes. I always screw everything up," he continued despondently.

She quietly studied him for a few moments. "Drew. You're only human," she said gently.

He snorted. "I'm an idiot and I always hurt the people I love."

He had been trying so hard to get things right. He didn't mean to go off on his brother, but he wanted to shake Adam by the shoulders and make him see Fiona the way he did. His words had fallen on deaf ears. Rightfully so, because as he watched the couple share a moment it finally sunk in that the girl truly cared for his brother.

"I'm not joining your pity party," Bianca said a calm yet firm tone. "So you screwed up. We _all_ do. Even Adam. No one's perfect." She reached out and raised his chin so that he met her eyes. "You have to dust yourself off and keep moving. But first, you have to forgive yourself."

"Adam hates me now–"

"Bullshit!" she cut him off. "Adam's your brother. He loves you no matter what. If he could forgive me for outing him to the whole school and calling him every name under the sun, then he can forgive you."

Drew was silent for a long moment. He was truly amazed by the wisdom of the woman before him. He liked Bianca. He liked her a lot and enjoyed being with her. But it felt like he was seeing her for the first time in all of her intricacies. There was more to her than he had ever realized before. She had seen a darker side to him, yet she wasn't running away. He was grateful because he wanted to truly get to know her.

"What do I do now?" he asked her. The neediness was gone from his voice. He sounded more like himself. Less broken.

Bianca smiled at him. "You stay here and drink your beer. Tomorrow's another day."

-oOo-

"Okay, and one more!" Sav called out.

Clare, Eli, and Adam kept their smiles frozen in place.

"Is this it?" Eli asked impatiently without moving his jaw.

Sav laughed. "It depends on Clare."

They all looked at her. The large group photos had been completed awhile ago, but she requested more with smaller and smaller configurations. In the last one it was down to just her boyfriend and their best friend.

"I think so," she said after a beat.

Eli and Adam shared relieved looks. "Finally," Eli muttered.

Adam chuckled. He couldn't be happier that they had finished taking pictures. He was ready to leave with Fiona. There was one thing he wanted to take care of first. He watched as Sav returned to the DJ both. He stared at the older boy until he turned in his direction. Adam nodded when he caught the older boy's eye and Sav gave him a thumbs up.

Adam walked over to Fiona. She was by the snack tables talking with Holly J, Anya, and Declan.

"Fiona, may I have this dance?" he asked and outstretched his hand.

Holly J and Anya smiled as they watched with interest. Declan smirked.

Fiona looked at him confused. "But there's no music playing."

Adam grinned at her. "There will be in a moment." Just then the song he requested starting playing.

Holly J scrunched up her face when she placed it. "Tarzan?" she said incredulously.

They all laughed.

"I'm mad that you know that," Declan teased her, although he also recognized 'You'll Be in My Heart' by Phil Collins from the Disney movie.

"Hey, it's a good song," Adam insisted, with a grin. He looked at Fiona. "Shall we?"

She laughed as she nodded her head. He took her hand and guided them over to a good spot on the dance floor. He brought his hands to her waist and Fiona placed her arms around his neck. Adam looked deeply into her eyes as they swayed to the music.

"So, is this our theme song?" she joked.

He chuckled. "Sure. I think the lyrics fit us."

_Why can't they understand  
The way we feel  
They just don't trust  
What they can't explain  
I know we're different but,  
Deep inside us  
We're not that different at all_

From the across the room, Eli smirked as he watched the couple dance. Adam was the only guy he knew that would have the guts to put on a song like this at a party. It was a very eloquent '_fuck you_' to all the naysayers and haters, himself included. It was a pity Drew wasn't around for this, if only so Eli could see his reaction.

"We're dancing, Goldsworthy!" he heard from behind him. He turned around and saw that Clare had a determined expression on her face.

"Um, sorry. Can't do it," he held his ground.

She raised an eyebrow.

He shook his head. "Clare, I don't dance to Disney songs!" he protested.

Clare laughed at him. "Well, tonight you do!" She grabbed his hand. "Besides, Adam and Fiona are having fun," she noted as she pulled him towards the dance floor.

Eli snorted. "That's because they're telling all of us to shut up and mind our own business." He placed his hands on her waist as they began to dance.

Clare frowned as she paused to listen to the lyrics.

_Don't listen to them  
'Cause what do they know  
We need each other  
To have, to hold_

"Okay, you might have point," she conceded.

Eli laughed heartily and spun her around.

"For what it's worth, I think it's time that we do," Clare told him. She rested her head against his shoulder.

Eli shrugged. "Yeah. Our grasshopper's all grown up," he joked. Clare giggled. "And I guess Fiona isn't so bad. She held Drew's feet to the fire earlier. It was pretty epic."

"Really?" Clare said surprised.

Eli grinned. "Yep. She's kind of scary when she's angry," he noted.

_When destiny calls you  
You must be strong  
I may not be with you  
But you've got to hold on  
They'll see in time  
I know  
We'll show them together_

_'Cause you'll be in my heart  
Yes, you'll be in my heart  
From this day on  
Now and forever more_

Adam was smiling ear to ear. Fiona was in his arms and the whole song they had been looking into each other's eyes. He could stare into her eyes forever. Only one thing could make this moment better.

He leaned in and brought his lips to hers. Fiona readily returned the kiss and Adam pulled her closer. It was perfect and nothing else mattered.

.

-FIN-

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A/N: Wow. I finished this 15 minutes before the new episode started! Woo hoo! I really wanted to finish this story because I'm pretty sure watching the new episodes would throw me off. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the ending!

**Thank you for reading :D**

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**

Additional Notes:

So, there were 3 themes I wanted to explore in this story: 1) Fiona/Adam fighting to keep their relationship afloat despite the disapproval of their family and friends, 2) Fiona figuring out her sexuality and how she identifies, and 3) the increasingly strained relationship between the Torres brothers and how they finally reach an understanding. Drew fell far before he finally understood he can't force his brother to do things his way.

About a sequel… I don't think so. The main conflicts have been resolved. I'll continue writing/publishing other Fadam fics. I have more coming for the timeline series and I plan to update my Badam story soon-ish. Will keep you guys posted!

Thanks again for reading this crazy, long story! **Review if you'd like.** (It's like a tip jar for writers ;-)

* * *

Other Note:  
If you haven't already, watch the Much Music promo y'all! It's much kinder to Fadam fans than the TeenNick one! (Thanks Avery!)

And one more note...  
Thanks for all the reviews, PMs, favorites, alerts, hits, etc. This is officially the longest Fadam fic I have ever written. At 93 pages in word, it's also the longest _story_ I've ever written! All the encouragement really helped!

-Cheers!

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**Update 4/10/11:**

**Who am I kidding? Of course there's gonna be a sequel! I'm working on it now. It takes place many years later! It's called "The One".**

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******Update 5/24/11:**

**The sequel "The One" is posted and currently up to 47 chapters. Check it out if you haven't already :D  
**


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